Team Iko
by Animu Waifu
Summary: As the chunin exams commence, Midori, Nima, and Kishu, the three rather dysfunctional members of Team Iko, enter the scene and attempt to survive the deadly, intimidating challenges, hardships, and opponents that await them while forming unexpected relationships and bonds with the other genin along the way. What will become of these three genin? You will have to read and see!
1. Chapter 1: The Mystery Woman

**Chapter 1: The Mystery Woman **

This bright, sunny morning seemed to erase the two ninja tragedies that occurred the previous day as well as the oppressive atmosphere that loomed over the Land of the Waves for quite some time. Two graves shaped in the form of wooden crosses side by side upon the hilltop of the village, one with a dark sash hanging from it and another with an enormous sword belonging to one the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist standing tall stuck in the ground behind the cross, closed the miserable chapter of the village and the completed bridge nearby, now named the Great Naruto Bridge, opened them to a brighter future.

To celebrate this great fortune and completion of this grand project, the entire village watched as their four saviors made their way across their new creation back to their village, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Before the entire squad departed, one of the ninjas clad in an a blazing orange jumpsuit and spiky blonde hair shared a tearful farewell with a younger child from the village wearing green suspenders and a short sleeve beige shirt with a large collar. After this momentary delay, this ninja, a kunoichi with pink hair, a boy dressed in a short-sleeved blue-shirt and white shorts, and an older, mysterious, grey-haired shinobi with a blue mask and Leaf Village headband obscuring a majority of his face embarked on their long journey across the bridge.

Little did the Land of the Waves villagers or the unsuspecting Leaf Village squad know, sitting between the two graves on the hilltop was a woman watching this entire event unfold. This woman had a beauty mark on her chin and was clad in something like a no-sleeve light blue dress with an opening in the front exposing her midriff and white shorts as well as fishnets covering her entire body from her feet all the way to her arms. She wore matching light blue arm warmers speckled with black spots. As she peered down at these Leaf Village ninja with her striking blue eyes and wavy brown hair spilling behind her, she proceeded to cross her legs which were covered nearly completely with beige, furry leg warmers. Nearly everywhere one turned, there was some bit of fur peeking out of some area and crevice on her body. At the ends of her arm warmers, by her shoulders, and most noticeably around her neck.

"Well, what a very eventful afternoon that was yesterday," the woman said quietly to herself as she softly stroked the large sword to her left with her index finger. "I would have never imagined that one of the notorious Seven Swordsmen of the Mist would fall to a group of Leaf Village genin even with the great Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake at their side."

A smile crept upon her face as she fingered a hidden, weathered Leaf Village headband with a slash through the middle of it under her fur collar.

"I suppose my old village is home to much stronger ninja that I thought," she grinned.

She turned to the cross to her right and plucked a lovely, purple flower from the flower wreath dangling from it. The woman studied this small specimen as it slowly turned from its fresh, bright violet color to a withered, black.

"How interesting," she purred as she tossed the dead flower away and helped herself to her feet. "I will have to keep tabs on those four."

This mysterious woman stood in her black heels for a few moments brushing the grass off the back of her dress before disappearing into the trees behind her.


	2. Chapter 2: Fresh Meat

**Chapter 2: Fresh Meat**

The sun shone brightly onto the cobbled stone pathway and the fences lining the edges. The wind was still and the lush trees stood tall in the great Village Hidden in the Leaves. Even the Four hokages peaceful faces etched into the mountainside contributed to the tranquil atmosphere.

However, despite this seemingly relaxed atmosphere, the village was actually alive and bustling with new, foreign, and rather fearful entities all in squads of three anxious to draw fresh blood during the chunin exams. In the past, the grueling, gory natural selection of the chunin exam efficiently weeded out the weak and only allowed the most powerful, tactful, ruthless ninjas to advance their rank. This year's chunin exams were no exception and the participants were sure to be even more challenging and even more deadly.

Ready to face this life-threatening challenge was a three man squad of Konoha ninja advancing side-by-side down the street. Leading the troupe walking slightly ahead of the other two was a rather short, serious-looking kunoichi with striking light green eyes who looked much too young to even know how to handle a kunai. Her long, aquamarine Rapunzel braids wrapped in ribbons swinging at her sides as she walked complete with a set of bangs as well as her large spectacles and gaudy pink bow on her head only contributed to this nonthreatening appearance.

These ribbons and bows were the most striking part of her outfit. Almost everywhere one looked, there seemed to be a bow or ribbon peeking out from some area or crevice of her body. Her hair, her wrists, her ankles, everywhere! Even her red attire with long, baggy sleeves contained a straight line of neatly tied ribbons from her neck down to the bottom of the shirt.

While these ribbons may seem unassuming and demean her very status as a ninja, little did her enemies know the hidden abilities of these bits of silky cloth. The confidence in her stride and her serious, determined expression proved she knew the great secrets hidden in them and foresaw the demise of her foe should they take for granted these seemingly harmless decorations.

To the right and left of their leader were her two teammates trailing behind her. These two towered over their miniature leader whose steps matched nearly three of the decorated kunoichi's dainty steps. Both these two teammates shared other nearly identical characteristics besides their looming height. Both possessed bright orange freckles speckled across their nose and cheeks matching their long, flaming red, curly locks as well as violet eyes. Even their attire matched with a fish net undershirt hidden beneath a baggy, beige shirt and matching green feather earrings dangling from their ears. Anyone passing these two on the street could obviously see that these two must be related somehow and would even go so far as to say they were twins. This conclusion would be correct.

Given this close relationship, the similarities did not end with their physical appearance and even leaked over into their own personalities and dispositions. Contrary to their rather stern leader, these two ninja had wide grins plastered on their faces and their wide eyes revealed their energy and excitement in participating in this chunin exam and facing new, challenging competitors to test their abilities. While they may be manning the rears in this unusual row and allowing the ribbon-clad kunoichi to take the lead, these two twins certainly possessed great skills as well and were itching for an opportunity to show them off.

The only breaks in their symmetry being that one was a boy and a girl as well as the placement of their Leaf Village headbands and the maintenance of their wild hair. The red-headed kunoichi wore her Leaf Village headband snuggly around her neck and tamed her wild hair by tying it back into a high ponytail and sticking a violet hair band to accentuate the violet in her eyes. The boy, on the other hand, wore his Leaf Village headband proudly on his head and allowed his long mane to flow free down to the middle of his back.

What a comical sight to watch a young kunoichi who could barely keep ahead of the pace of her two lackeys at the sides lead the entire squad into the fierce, brutal chunin exams. This dysfunctional team seemed barely ready to embark on genin level missions let alone endure the rigors of assuming the role of a chunin. However, as the saying goes, appearances are not always what they seem and they would soon show their true worth as shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves as they approached the designated building where they would begin the first part of the chunin exam.

"This should be the place," the ribbon-clad kunoichi announced as she looked up at the tall doors before them knowing that once they entered, there was no turning back.

Lost in revere as she absorbed this life-altering task before them, she failed to notice her red-headed male teammate inch closer to her and wrap his lanky arms around her narrow shoulders in a tight embrace. Before she could even register what was happening, she became airborne as the boy still holding her in his arms lifted her off the ground.

"What would be do without you, Midori?!" the freckled boy gushed as he rubbed his cheek against hers. " If we didn't have you leading the way, then there's no way we would have made it here on time for the chunin exams, right, Nima?"

His red-headed twin sister joined the fray; wrapping one of her arms around her brother's shoulder and then her other around her stunned teammate.

"That's right, Kishu," the kunoichi chimed in. "You're the best, Midori! I love you guys!"

As this burst of team spirit overtook the twins, Midori's face immediately scrunched into a frown. Nothing annoyed her more than these spontaneous, idiotic tendencies of her two teammates. Even back in the academy, their carefree, air-headed mannerisms and behavior always irritated her and she cursed the day she was put into a ninja squad with these two dunces. It was the same pattern every time. Kishu always initiated these random outbursts and Nima always followed his lead. It certainly did not help that their sensei always seemed to be on the same wavelength as them; leaving her feeling she was the only sane, focused adult of this group of spastic misfits and wondering how she will even survive this exam with these two dolts.

Given these festering frustrations with her squad as a whole as well as the fact that she was none too happy that Kishu took advantage of her petite height, a sensitive subject for her, by lifting her up to his level and exposing the significant difference between her feet and the ground, Midori proceeded to kick her short legs and attempt to wriggle her arms out of her teammates grasp.

"Let go of me you idiots!" Midori snapped clearly flustered.

The twins released their grip on her and Kishu set her back on the ground. Midori angrily shrugged his arms off her shoulders and glanced to her right and left to see if anyone had witnessed this embarrassing display.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?!" Midori exclaimed turning to face her teammates. "You don't just go grabbin' people whenever you feel like it! What if someone had seen you?!"

"Sorry, Midori," said Kishu and Nima in unison. This had not been the first instance they had to apologize to Midori for one of their crazy antics and they had apologized so frequently in the past that they managed to time their apologies together perfectly.

"You two," sighed Midori. "How I ended up in a squad with you idiots is beyond me. At this rate, we will be the laughing stock of this entire exam even after we waited a whole year to train."

"Don't say that, Midori!" said Nima with a smile. "You're the smartest person in our squad."

"It's not me I'm concerned about!" Midori snapped, irritated that she did not seem to understand that she and Kishu were the source of her anxiety. "I'm worried that you both are going to bring me down! Seriously, if you don't get your acts together, then those ninja in there will eat us alive!"

"Yes, ma'am!" shouted Kishu and Nima as they pressed their hands tightly to their sides and clicked their heels together.

Knowing that these two would simply ignore her advice as they had numerous times before, an exasperated Midori heaved another sigh, straightened her glasses, tightened the bow in her hair, and faced the ominous door once again. Regaining her composure as the leader of the group, she ordered Nima and Kishu to follow as she disappeared through the door. Kishu and Nima smiled at each other and quickly followed suit as the door closed behind them, solidifying their decision to partake in this deadly challenge.

Little did they know that someone had been perched up in the nearby trees, watching them the whole time. This mysterious person leapt from the branch of the tree and did a flip in the air before landing cleanly on her feet. It was a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties and the top of her head was covered with her Leaf Village headband in the form of a doo rag with her straight brown hair spilling out until it just touched her shoulders as well as bangs covering her forehead. Her attire seemed to be a bit of an oxymoron. From her neck down to her waist, she seemed prepared for winter with a black undershirt in which the sleeves reached just passed her elbow under a grey sweater with a plunging neck-line, two slits near the shoulders, and sleeves reaching her elbows. She even wore black gloves on her hands that were open for her fingers and a small sheet of metal stitched in. However, contrary to her upper body, from the waist down to her feet, all she wore were short brown pants and the common blue ninja sandals. Peering at the door the squad of three just entered with her soft blue eyes, she placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

"Go get 'em, you guys," the woman said quietly. "Midori. Nima. Kishu. Show them what you're made of."

The woman stood rooted to the spot for a few moments before swiftly disappearing into the trees.


	3. Chapter 3: Could This Be Love?

**Chapter 3: Could This Be Love?**

Once inside the building, Midori continued to lead her troupe up the two flights of stairs. Well, at least initially, she led them up the first flight of stairs. By the time they reached the second flight of stairs, the eager twins, Nima and Kishu, increased their stride to about two stairs per step and their teammate struggled to keep up with her short legs.

"Geez, you both know we're early, right?" Midori grumbled. "It's not like the chunin exam is going to start without us."

"Sorry, Midori, we're just so pumped, right, Nima?" Kishu said, but made no attempts to slow his pace.

"I agree," Nima replied keeping her same speed and holding out her hand for a high five which Kishu reciprocated. Midori scowled at this sickening display of sibling affection and pondered whether it was truly too late to turn around and escape out the doors.

After reaching the third floor, Nima and Kishu peered down at their huffing and puffing teammate as she ascended the final twelve steps.

"You got it, Midori!" exclaimed Kishu.

"Almost there, Midori!" cheered Nima.

"Will you two shut up!" Midori shouted. Anticipating that the other ninja participating in the chunin exam would already single her out for her unusual attire, childish appearance, and short stature, she wanted to prolong this humiliation for as long as possible, so having her teammates calling attention to her trouble of willing her short legs to keep up with them did not help. As she came closer and closer to the top, she began formulating a few choice words for her two teammates.

After reaching the third floor, she was just about to release her barrage of insults when she peered between the twins and noticed a large group of ninja crowding around a single door with a sign above it reading 301. She also faintly heard two voices which sounded as though they were coming from the entrance of the door.

"What's going on over there?" Midori mumbled. "That's the designated room for the chunin exams. Why is everyone waiting outside?"

"That is weird," Nima concurred. "Is the door locked or sealed off or something?"

"I don't know," Kishu said. "Let's find out."

The three regrouped and approached the massive crowd to scout out the situation. Fortunately, for Nima and Kishu, their heights allowed them to peer over the crowd and witness a verbal altercation between two young shinobi guarding the door and a squad of three ninja in the crowd. However, Midori, on the other hand, failed to see passed the shoulder blades of the ninja in front of her even when she stood on her tip toes. Frustrated with her miniature legs and refusing to demean herself by asking her two teammates to relay the scene to her, Midori strayed from her team and traced the outskirts of the crowd, scoping out an opening for her to squeeze through in order to get a better view of the situation.

Ignorant to the fact that their teammate had just disappeared, Nima and Kishu attempted to piece together the situation before them. It appeared that the two shinobi, one with short brown hair covered by a Leaf Village headband doo rag and another with spiky black hair and a shining red nose, in front of the door were continually making snarky comments questioning how qualified any of these ninja really were to take part in the chunin exam and refused to let anyone into the room. Knowing that they must enter this room for the chunin exams, this squad of three was willing to challenge these two shinobi.

While Kishu was focusing on the conversation between these two groups, Nima found herself drawn to one member of the squad of three in particular. She first noticed the ninja after he stepped forward from the other two members of his group and responded to these two condescending ninja. The boy wore a green, spandex jumpsuit with orange leg warmers the reached a few inches below his knee and a red ninja headband tied around his waist. His clenched hands were wrapped almost completely in white cloth with only his fingertips exposed. Thick black eyebrows peeked out from underneath his black, bowl-hair cut.

However, despite all these obnoxious aspects of his character, the boy first caught Nima's attention with his large, black eyes hidden under his enormous brow. While Nima and Kishu could only view the side profiles of these two groups from their position, the determination burning within the boy's eyes managed to echo across the room to Nima. Something about the way his eyes seemed to emphasize his ability to stay strong in the face of adversity as he proceeded to approach these two unknown ninjas without a hint of fear made a lasting impression on her.

"How brave," she thought to herself.

She snapped back to reality once she witnessed this courageous ninja fly backwards to his two teammates after being struck in the face by one of the ninjas guarding the door. Her heart sunk after witnessing this seemingly resolute individual fall to the ground and was about ready to believe she misinterpreted the passion she saw in his eyes as an illusion and figured he would simply crumble. She peered at his eyes once again hoping to see that determination and passion she was first attracted to and much to her surprise it was still there. Despite receiving a few marks on his face from the assault, the boy still kept his eyes fixed on the two shinobis and the door as though nothing would stop him from entering that room. Feeling she must intervene on behalf of this fallen stranger, Nima turned to her brother Kishu who was intently listening to the insults the two shinobi were throwing at this squad.

"Kishu, we need to help them," whispered Nima eagerly, breaking Kishu's concentration.

"Huh?" replied Kishu, surprised to hear such a sudden request from his twin sister.

As Kishu tried to comprehend Nima's statement, his concentration was broken once again when a gasp escaped from the crowd after the two ninja then proceeded to attack another member of the squad who was a kunoichi with a pink shirt and two brown buns on her head that resembled panda ears.

"See, we can't just let them face these two shinobi alone," said Nima, trying to conjure up a rational explanation to call forth her brother into action. "Especially, since they are our kin from the Leaf Village."

"W-Well, that is true," mumbled Kishu, a bit taken aback by the aggressiveness in Nima's voice.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nima stated.

Before Kishu could answer, another squad stepped out of the crowd and approached the two ninja guarding the door. The ninja leading his troupe wore a short sleeved blue shirt, white shorts, and white arm sleeves, and had dull black eyes with black hair that spiked out the back. The ninja to his right wrote a bright orange jumpsuit and had spiky blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and unusual whiskers on his cheeks. The kunoichi to his left wore a long red dress and had sullen green-blue eyes, and long pink hair.

"Look at that, Nima," said Kishu. "Seems like some other Leaf Village squad beat us to it."

Nima watched as the boy in blue ordered the two ninja to move aside and exposed their illusion cast upon the room in which everyone believed that they were on the third floor when they were actually on the second. Despite her respect towards that boy for uncovering such a jutsu, she did not feel that same passion emitting from his eyes as the boy in the green jumpsuit.

Moments after uncovering the ninja's deception, the ninja with the spiky black hair began to perform a cartwheel to kick this ninja in blue. The ninja in blue prepared to counter this ninja's attack with a kick of his own, but before either ninja could make contact, a green blur zipped across the room and caught both their kicks in midair. Nima and Kishu's mouths both dropped after they realized that this green blur was the ninja with the thick eyebrows. Kishu turned to his sister and rambled on about how amazing this "come-back" kid was, but Nima ignored her brother completely and focused on this strong ninja.

"I knew it wasn't an illusion," thought Nima as her mouth transformed into a smile and a small blush crept across her face making her freckles nearly invisible. "So…cool."

After the boy received a scolding from his third teammate with long brown hair and white eyes for, she watched as he approached the kunoichi with pink hair.

"My name is Rock Lee," he began. "You are Sakura, right?" (1)

Just hearing the strong, assertive tone in his voice made Nima's heart skip a beat and her blush grow even larger.

"Rock Lee," she said under her breath as she commit the name to memory.

"Please be my girlfriend," he asked, giving the pink-haired kunoichi a wink, a shimmering grin, and a thumbs up. "I vow to protect you with my life." (2)

Now Nima's heart began to beat nearly out of her chest and her face was now completely red.

"So romantic!" Nima thought as she clasped her hands over her heart. "What a lucky girl."

Nima stood waiting for this kunoichi with pink hair to reciprocate his feelings after such a heartfelt proclamation of love, but was crushed when the girl blatantly rejected him and then proceeded to insult him.

"What?!" Nima thought angrily. "How could someone say no to such a passionate confession?! Poor guy, I hope he's not taking it too hard."

However, contrary to her wishes, the boy leaned on the wall with his left hand and looked to the ground dejectedly after receiving, such a harsh rejection. The ninja in blue regrouped with the pink-haired kunoichi and the boy in the orange jumpsuit and left the hallway.

While Nima was still fantasizing about the boy in the green jumpsuit and Kishu was still rambling on to himself about what had just transpired, Midori walked sullenly to her group with a pout on her face.

"Hey, Midori!" Kishu said waving his hand ridiculously in the air. "Did you go somewhere?"

"Well, it's nice to know I'm such as important part of the group," Midori grumbled sarcastically. "Geez, I go to all that trouble to get a peek and I don't even see anything until it's all over. If only I was a couple inches taller…If only…"

"Aw man, it was awesome, right, Nima?" Kishu waited for his sister to respond, but there was only silence. "Nima?"

Nima was standing there with her hands clasped over her heart. She did not hear Kishu for she was completely focused upon this noble Rock Lee character. She witnessed Rock Lee separate from his team and follow the squad whose names were discovered to be Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura up to the third floor. There was something about this boy. Something she had never felt before. But what could it be?

"Hey, Nima?" Kishu said waving a hand in front of her face.

"Huh?" Nima answered startled. "Oh, sorry, you guys."

"You, OK?" asked Kishu with a confused expression on his face.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine," replied Nima with a smile. "Actually, I'm going to go to the restroom. I'll be right back."

"O-Ok," replied Kishu still with a puzzled expression.

"You better get back here on time!," shouted Midori as Nima began to run towards the stairs. "If you make us late to the chunin exam, you'll be sorry!"

"Gotcha!" called Nima as she disappeared up the stairs Rock Lee and the squad with the ninja in blue, the ninja in the orange jumpsuit, and the kunoichi with pink haired ascended.

"She's acting real weird," said Midori as she crossed her arm under her elbow and put her hand under her chin. "Did something happen while I was away? Did you two have a fight or something?"

"No, nothing like that," Kishu replied, also concerned with his twin sister's behavior. He always prided himself on being on the same wavelength with her, but for some reason, he could not read her actions. "I guess she just really needed to go to the bathroom."

As Nima ascended the stairs, she could not stop thinking about that boy in the green jumpsuit, Rock Lee. Why was she so attracted to this stranger? What was it about him that made her feel this way? She had to see that determined stare of his again. She just had to know more about him.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(1) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(2) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	4. Chapter 4: The Missing Feather

**Chapter 4: The Missing Feather **

Contrary to her rather hyper, spastic demeanor, Nima carefully climbed the stairs Rock Lee and the other ninja squad had ascended, taking each step into consideration. Stalking another ninja she barely knew anything about for a reason she could not understand herself was already strange and suspicious enough, so to be caught in such a position would be the ultimate embarrassment and humiliation. Fearing the awkward consequences of being discovered, Nima ensured she remained hidden, but still within hearing distance should this handsome Rock Lee or the other ninjas speak. She squatted near the railing of the stairs and did not dare raise her head to the top of the stairs should one of the two be at the top and become suspicious of her sneaky ways. Still keeping well-hidden, Nima finally peeked over the railing of the stairs and spotted the ninja in blue and his squad walking towards their destination. She glanced to the right and left searching for Rock Lee, but could not find his striking green spandex jumpsuit.

"That's odd," she thought to herself. "I know I saw him follow them up these stairs. Did he go this way for some other reason or is this another illusion?"

As she sat their questioning her very surroundings, she suddenly heard that same familiar, assertive tone from that brave ninja on the second floor coming from above her.

"Hey, you, with the attitude!" called this voice down to the floor below him. "Hold on!" (3)

The entire squad turned their heads and Sakura, the kunoichi who rejected Rock Lee's advances, shot a look mixed with surprise and disgust up to the top of the stairs.

"What to do you want?" Sasuke asked realizing that the one with the "attitude" Rock Lee was referring to was him. (4)

"I want to fight," Rock Lee announced with that same determined expression. "Right here and right now." (5)

Rock Lee leapt to the floor below him and landed nicely in a crouched position. He then proceeded to stand and introduce himself as an act of courtesy. Just hearing him say his name again in that alluring tone of his sent Nima's heart a flutter. She was so absorbed by his manly vocals that she actually began leaning over the railing to get a better view of this fine ninja, thus, exposing herself from her hiding place. Once she realized her folly, she immediately slinked back behind the stair railing with her heart racing and her face completely red.

"Gah! How could I be so stupid?!" Nima scolded herself. "Did they see me? Oh, I hope they didn't see me. How am I going to explain myself?!"

After quickly composing herself, she peeked over the railing, ensuring she did not get carried away, in order to confirm her fears. However, much to her relief, no one had noticed her mistake since Rock Lee and the three-man squad were so consumed with the situation at hand. Nima continued to watch as Rock Lee explained that he wished to confront Sasuke Uchiha because he had heard the rumors about the clan's powers and wanted to confirm whether or not this was true. Nima began to swoon at this manly display, but then snapped back to reality when she witnessed Rock Lee about to give his other reason for the battle and turn toward Sakura.

"Oh, Sakura, I love you!" he declared with a large blush appearing on his cheeks. (6)

Nima turned to Sakura hoping she would not reject his heartfelt confession a second time. However, her hopes were crushed when Sakura screamed and convulsed in terror and threw countless insults and demeaning comments towards Rock Lee. Despite these hurtful attacks, Rock Lee continued to shower her with compliments and cascaded her with kisses from across the room. Nima nearly squealed with excitement as she fantasized herself in Sakura's position having those kisses planted on her cheek.

"Surely, surely not this time," Nima assured herself. "There's no way she can deny those kisses."

However, once again, Sakura failed Nima as she let out another scream of terror and disgust and artfully dodged every single kiss floating her way. As she had before, Sakura then degraded Rock Lee once again and Nima watched the blush disappear from his face and have it replaced with a dejected expression.

"How can she be so cold?!" thought Nima angrily. "Poor, Rock Lee, such an honest man deserves so much better."

As if one member of the squad insulting Rock Lee was not enough, the ninja in blue also took part in the insults by claiming that Rock Lee must truly be foolish to believe he could face the Uchiha clan even after everything he had heard. Truthfully, as supportive as she was of this Rock Lee, she was a bit concerned with the threat posed by Sasuke Uchiha. You would have had to have been living under a rock if you did not hear of the great power of the Uchiha clan. However, Rock Lee remained undeterred by his words and assumed a strong stance with his right hand up level to his face and turned towards himself as if ready for an attack and his left hand tucked behind himself.

As Nima admired this strength and braced herself for this battle, her concentration was broken by an outburst from the ninja in the orange jumpsuit, Naruto, declaring that he would fight Rock Lee instead of Sasuke Uchiha. While Nima was determined that Rock Lee, a ninja she had only learned of moments earlier, could win any battle against any rival, she heaved a sigh of relief, secretly grateful he was not going up against a member of the daunting Uchiha clan.

Without warning Naruto charged towards Rock Lee with his fists held high while Rock Lee remained in his given stance. As Naruto became airborne and was ready to land a punch, Rock Lee stepped forward and easily deflected Naruto's attack, sending him flying into the wall with his move named the Leaf Whirlwind. After feeling the vibrations from the impact of Naruto colliding with the wall, Nima could not help, but smile and blush at this Rock Lee character's strength and abilities. Her faith in Rock Lee had been restored as he reassumed his original stance waiting for the next rival to attack.

As Sasuke and Rock Lee stared each other down, waiting for one of them to make a move, Sakura chimed in about there being less than thirty minutes to register.

"Wow, I totally forgot the time!" Nima thought to herself as she thought of Midori's last, threatening comment to her before she separated from them. "I really should head back, but…"

Before Nima could make a decision, Sasuke bolted towards Rock Lee, much like his fallen teammate, Naruto. Despite a failed attempt at the Leaf Hurricane by Rock Lee, Sasuke could not evade one of Rock Lee's kicks which made contact with his face, sending him flying across the room.

"I can't leave now!" Nima reasoned. "I will just have to take my lickings with Midori, but I just can't miss this!"

Just as Nima resolved that she would stay for the remainder of the fight, Sasuke revealed his clan's secret kekkei genkai ability passed down from generation to generation, the red Sharingan eyes. Of course, Nima had heard of the Sharingan ability of the Uchiha clan as had everyone else in the Leaf Village, but she had never seen it in action before or knew the details of this technique. While Nima still adamantly supported Rock Lee in his battle against this ninja squad, the fear of the unknown put a damper on her enthusiasm and made her anxious watching this fight. However, once she witnessed Sasuke go airborne after a kick under his chin from Rock Lee, her enthusiasm and awe returned as he defeated the Sharingan.

"Amazing!" Nima gushed. "He was able to beat the Sharingan! I knew it! I just knew it!"

After dealing several blows to Sasuke, Rock Lee assumed his stance once again and began to speak. Nima listened intently as Rock Lee pointed out the flaw in the Sharingan that allowed him to overcome such a legendary trait. This flaw stemmed from the fact that the Sharingan, while amazing in its ability to copy genjutsu and ninjutsu techniques, it could not copy taijutsu techniques which is what Rock Lee used.

"Of course," Nima reflected on Rock Lee's previous moves. "I should have known since all his attacks were all hand-to-hand combat."

After exposing the disadvantages of the Sharingan eye, Rock Lee proceeded to describe his philosophy regarding those who are born with natural talent and ninja abilities, like Sasuke's Sharingan eye, and those who must train hard every day to achieve true strength, like himself. This last comment by Rock Lee truly impacted Nima and she began to reflect upon herself as a ninja. Like Sasuke, both her and her twin brother, Kishu, possessed certain ninja traits that had been passed down through her family tree. Of course she and her brother trained, but did they put as much heart into it as someone who trains every day? Did this make her less of ninja? Even worse, did this make her unworthy of earning respect from a hard-working ninja, like Rock Lee?

As Nima began to doubt herself and question her true strength, she failed to notice a small item whizzing through the air and heading straight for her. She did not notice this tiny projectile until it made contact with her forehead. Startled by this sudden impact, she fell backwards on her bottom.

"Itai," Nima moaned under her breath as she rubbed her aching forehead. "What was that?"

She looked down and spotted an ice cube beginning to melt on the ground below her. When she looked closely at this ice cube, she noticed that there was a folded piece of parchment within the ice cube. Nima carefully grasped the paper from the small puddle from the now completely melted ice cube and unfolded it to read the contents, curious to what the message was. While Nima strained to read the note since the ink began to run after becoming wet, she was able to make out the message.

"DON'T FORGET THE TIME, GOOD LUCK! – IKO-SENSEI" the note read with a small smiley face that now appeared to be crying black tears.

After reading the contents of the letter, Nima glanced up at the clock on the nearby wall and panicked when she realized that she had less than ten minutes to register with her group for the chunin exams.

"Gah! The time went by so fast!" Nima thought. "Midori is not going to be happy with me! I need to head back!"

Nima buried the note in her pocket and franticallly descended down the stairs. Although she was disappointed she would miss the end of this fight, especially after glancing over to see that Sasuke Uchiha was now airborne with Rock Lee behind him and the white cloth on his hands unraveling, Nima was glad to have seen such a great battle and learn more about this stranger, Rock Lee, and vowed to prove that she truly was a hard-worker and did not fall under the same category as Sasuke, one who relies on their natural talent or abilities and only commits to a minimal amount of training.

Nima was so consumed with these thoughts and her renewed determination that she failed to notice one of her green feather earrings detach from her ear and float down next the puddle of water.

As Nima arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she spotted her teammates still standing in the same spot she left them. Kishu was leaning against the wall with his hands behind his head with a serious expression on his face as he stared at the ceiling. Midori stood with her arms crossed in front of her staring at the clock on the wall with her foot frantically tapping the ground and an irritable expression on her face. They had not seen her yet.

"Come on, come on," Midori muttered under her breath as she watched the seconds ticking away. "What in the world could Nima be doing?! Now she really is going to make us late!"

"Don't worry, Midori" Kishu replied uneasily. "I'm sure she's just taking a very long bathroom break."

"Hey you guys!" Nima called as she sprinted towards them. "I'm back!"

Kishu and Midori turned to see her approaching. While Kishu's anxiety changed to relief to see that his twin sister was safe, Midori's irritated expression only intensified the closer Nima came to them.

"Nima!" Kishu said elatedly.

"Where in the world were you?!" Midori shouted at Nima with her face turning a deep scarlet in anger. "You almost made us late!"

"Sorry, my bad," Nima apologized putting a hand behind her head and bowing.

"Hey, where's your earring?" Midori asked observing that her right green feather earring was missing.

"Huh?" said Nima as she put her hand to her left ear and realized it was truly gone. She realized that in her rush she must have dropped it somewhere. She searching her mind and mentally retraced her steps to determine where she might have dropped it.

"And what about your forehead?" Midori prodded as she noticed a small red mark right in the center. "What happened? Explain yourself!"

"Uh, well, um…" mumbled Nima as she searched for a reasonable explanation for these two oddities.

"Did someone touch you?!" Kishu exclaimed enraged, his protective brotherly instincts kicking in. "Who did it?! I'll make sure they pay!"

"No, nothing like that!" said Nima hurriedly putting her hands on his shoulders to calm him down.

"Well, spit it out, then!" Midori snapped.

"Well, um, you see…the bathroom!" Nima exclaimed as an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"The bathroom?" Midori and Kishu repeated, clearly confused.

"Yes, the bathroom," Nima nervously said as she began to describe the false series of events that lead to the mark on her forehead and her missing earring using several obnoxious hand gestures. "I was in the bathroom and then I left the stall to go wash my hands, but I slipped on a puddle of water near on the floor and hit my head on the sink. I guess I must've lost my earring when I fell."

Being the simple-minded brother, Kishu immediately believed Nima's explanation since he had no reason not to trust his own twin and could not imagine Nima hiding anything from him. Midori, on the other hand, found the story rather suspicious and could not believe something like that could have taken the length of time it took for Nima to return to the group. However, realizing that prolonging this argument caused more of their registration time to slip away, Midori decided to drop the issue in order to complete some more pressing business at hand.

"Whatever, let's just hurry up and get registered," Midori grumbled. "We're gonna barely make it as it is."

As the entire squad rushed to find the location to register for the chunin exams with Midori once again struggling to keep up with her long-legged teammates, Nima felt guilty about lying to her teammates, especially Kishu who she was very close with, about her whereabouts. However, she did not regret learning more about that interesting, brave ninja, Rock Lee, and witnessing his abilities first hand. She smiled as she thought of encountering him again in the chunin exam and proving her true worth to him as ninja deserving of his respect.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(3) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(4) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(5) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(6) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	5. Chapter 5: A Chance Encounter

**Chapter 5: A Chance Encounter**

While Nima, Kishu, and Midori were rushing to beat the clock for the chunin exam registration, the author of the message hidden in Nima's pocket was hidden under the leaves of a nearby tree watching the remainder of the fight between Sasuke Uchiha and Rock Lee. This Iko-sensei as identified in the note was the same woman who ensured Midori, Nima, and Kishu made it to the designated building for the chunin exams.

"Now, I wonder what my dear student was doing sneaking around the stairwell," chuckled Iko-sensei with a warm smile on her face. "But I suppose I shouldn't talk, what with me spying from this branch."

Ironically enough, just like her student, Iko-sensei was also searching for a ninja with thick black eyebrows and a black bowl hair cut clad in a green spandex jumpsuit complete with orange leg warmers and a red Leaf Village headband around his waist. This man was Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Maito Gai. Prior to this year's chunin exams, she had heard his name around the Village from other high-ranking jonin. While many of the jonin she encountered seemed irritated by his rather crazy antics and his obnoxious values, others spoke of his grand manly adventures as well his intense rivalry with the famous Copy Ninja of Konoha. These stories first attracted her to this Maito Gai character and made her a fan, much to the dismay of the jonin and chunin she pestered for information about him. She was hoping to meet such a legendary person during this year's chunin exams since she heard his students were partaking in it at the same time as her students.

Just a little while ago, her wish came true when all the jonin of the genin squads who were participating in the chunin exams assembled in the presence of the Third Hokage to formally confirm that their team would accept the challenge. At this function as the jonin were first beginning to arrive, Iko spotted her childhood friend and one of the proctor's for this year's chunin exam, Anko Mitarashi, with her spiked grey hair, long trench coat, and rather revealing shirt which left little to the imagination. Having experienced much more pain in their youth stemming from two now notorious international criminals than any other shinobi could possibly understand, they were able to develop strong bonds with each other and helped each other through their darkest hours.

"Hey stranger!" Anko Mitarashi called across the room.

Iko turned to see her dear comrade with a goofy grin as she kept one hand on her hip and left the other waving in the air. She approached Iko and slung her arm over her shoulder. Iko proceeded to do the same with her own arm as a grin appeared on her face.

"Hey there Miss Proctor Lady," replied Iko playfully. "They let you proctor the exam again this year? Shoot you'll scare away half the genin before they even enter the Forest of Death."

"My plan all along," declared Anko as she crossed her arms with a sly expression on her face. "I cannot be babysitting these weak genin. I've got a dango restaurant waiting for me."

"Geez, not you and your dangos again," laughed Iko. "And watch what you say about weak genin. You know my team happens to be in the chunin exams this year."

"Oh, those three youngins of yours," replied Anko as she recall the short, four-eyed kunoichi and the two red-headed twins. "I'd start praying now if I were you."

"Ha ha, very funny," Iko retorted. "Would I be able to bribe you into giving a friend's squad a free pass through the chunin exam with a year's worth of dangos at your favorite restaurant? My treat."

"Unfortunately, as enticing as that sounds, my superiors would not be happy with me sending through three genin scot-free," replied Anko. "However, I can give you the name of a very in~ter~est~ing jonin whose squad will be participating in the chunin exams this year."

"Oh, do tell," said Iko. "Who is this said jonin?"

Knowing what a fan of this jonin Iko was from her constant prodding of information about him to her and the other jonin and chunin, Anko leaned in close to Iko and cupped her hand around her ear as if they were two young academy school girl sharing bit of gossip.

"Mai~to Gai," Anko whispered in a melodic manner.

"Really?!" said Iko as her eyes grew wide and she turned to her friend.

"According to my sources, he should be arriving in this very room any minute now," announced Anko proudly.

"Darling, have I told you how much I love you?" said Iko as she gripped her friend's shoulders.

"More than all the dango in the world?" asked Anko with a huge grin on her face.

"Yes, more than all the dango in the world," repeated Iko with a matching grin on her face.

Moments later, this very jonin they were referring to as if by call of duty, made his appearance in the doorway. As Iko first laid eyes on this wonderful specimen, she was beyond ecstatic to find that he was everything she imagined and more. Everything about him from his bright orange leg warmers to his black bowl haircut seemed to shine.

"Ah, just in time," Gai announced in his booming voice with his hands on his hips and his signature gleaming white smile. "Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey has arrived!"

While most of jonin in the room erupted in a series of groans, a small blush appeared on her face and she chuckled under her breath at this alluring man. Something about his presence when he entered a room and the confidence in his voice as well as his rather obnoxious attire drew Iko in.

"Worth it?" Anko whispered in her ear as she held out her clenched fist for a fist pump.

"Oh yeah," Iko replied, gladly reciprocating Anko's fist pump.

Wanting to know more of her idol, Iko began to make her way towards Gai, but was cut short when the Third Hokage made a sudden appearance.

"We will now commence this meeting," the Third Hokage, announced as he took a seat at a nearby desk.

All the jonin in the room began to line up in a series of rows. Despite her disappointment, Iko assumed her position as the Third Hokage ordered. The meeting went fairly smoothly with the Third Hokage discussing the chunin exam and the nine rookies this year being qualified to partake in it if they wished since they had completed eight or more missions. The three jonin, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, and Kakashi Hatake, in question stepped forward. Each of them went through the mundane process of announcing each of their three student's names and stated they would recommend them for the chunin exam. With this primary goal completed, the meeting was close to ending and Iko was preparing to approach this Gai character whose was only three people down from her in the row, but then somewhere in the group a brown-haired, tan ninja with a distinct scar across his nose spoke out against these three jonin's decision to allow their student's to engage in the chunin exam when they were so young.

Iko learned that this ninja's name was Iruka and somewhat sympathized with his feelings since she waited a year before allowing her students partake in the chunin exam, but also felt that the saying "to each his own" applied to this situation and every jonin does things differently. She watched as a verbal altercation ensued between this heated Iruka and one of the grey-haired jonin, Kakashi Hatake. Rather than focus upon the issue being debated since she believed the solution was simple given that the jonin of these ninja would get the final say rather than their previous teacher from the academy, Iko tried to recall why the grey-haired ninja's name, Kakashi Hatake, seemed so familiar.

"I don't remember meeting him," Iko thought as she racked her brain for an answer. "But then again with blue mask and Leaf Village headband covering most of his face, I guess I wouldn't know."

Iko snapped back to reality once she heard Gai's voice interrupt Iruka in mid-sentence to offer advice to the jonin she was trying to identify, Kakashi Hatake. She listened intently ready to his words of wisdom taking in every single phrase and word that escaped his lips.

"You know, he may be right, Kakashi," he stated. "You're putting a lot of pressure on them. Why so impatient? I held my team back for a year so they could hone their skills and mature. Let them enjoy their youth a little longer." (7)

Absolutely giddy that she indirectly followed the advice of her idol by holding her students back as well, the blush that had disappeared moments before reemerged on her cheeks and her smile also reappeared. However, unlike Iko who absorbed this advice, Kakashi playfully accuse Gai of being afraid that his team would beat their team, much to Gai's annoyance. Iko smirked as she pondered such a ridiculous notion.

"Please, the great Beast of Konoha's team losing to this jonin's squad?" Iko thought. "I highly doubt that."

Before this argument could escalate, the Third Hokage intervened and stated that the issue of the rookie genin was closed and they would move on to the other jonin's recommendations for their own squad of genin. The three "rookie" jonin, Asuma Sarutobi, Kurenai Yuhi, and the troublesome Kakashi Hatake, funneled out of the room. Iko hoped she would be called before Gai, so she could confront him as he left the room. However, her hopes were swiftly dashed since Gai was called first and he stepped forward apart from the row.

"I lead my youthful squad, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, and Tenten," Gai announced. "I, Maito Gai, recommend all three of these genin for the chunin selection exam."

Iko commit these names to memory as Gai gave his signature thumbs up and wink and walked out of the room. Iko, impatiently, waited for another two jonin to announce their candidates before her name was called.

"I lead my squad, Midori, Nima, and Kishu," Iko quickly stated. "I, Iko, recommend all three of these genin for the chunin selection exams."

She quickly departed from the room hoping to possibly catch Gai on the way out. However, much to her dismay, he was long gone by the time she arrived. Despite this setback, she would not be deterred and decided to find Gai on her own. After all, she was a jonin, so locating one of her kin could not be that difficult, right?

However, as she soon found out, locating Konoha's great Beast turned out to be a more difficult task than she anticipated. She jumped from tree-to-tree scanning the surrounding area, trying to distinguish his orange leg warmers in the forest since his green jumpsuit was nearly the same color as the trees.

"Could he have really gone so far in such a short amount of time?" Iko thought to herself exasperated.

Just when she was about to turn around and investigate another portion of Konoha, she passed the third floor of the designated building her students entered moments before and spotted a pair of orange leg warmers.

"Gotcha!" Iko said under her breath as she neared the building and hid in one of the nearby trees.

From afar, the black bowl haircut, thick black eyebrows, green spandex jumpsuit, and the red headband around the waist seemed to match the great Beast she was tirelessly trying to locate. However, as she neared the building, she realized she was mistaken. While everything else seemed to correspond to the individual she was searching for, the absent jonin jacket, the distinct round eyes with three lashes at the bottom, and the youthful face proved she had the wrong guy.

"Darn," she sighed. "I thought I had him. Guess I'll have to try elsewhere."

Just as she was about to leave, she heard this young ninja announce that his name was Rock Lee. Hearing this name, she halted in her tracks.

"Rock Lee?" Iko pondered with her chin resting on her fist as she tried to remember where she heard that name before. "Ah! That's Gai's student!"

The second name Rock Lee addressed, Sasuke Uchiha, needed no reflection.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Iko repeated as she stared at the red and white paddle symbol on the back of the ninja's blue shirt. "The only survivor or the Uchiha massacre. Inheritor of the Sharingan."

After considering a matchup between this Rock Lee and Uchiha kid, Iko decided to stay at least to witness this interesting battle and see the extent of his student's abilities. From the tree she was hiding in, she analyzed each of genin's abilities and pinpointed the advantages and flaws in their strategies and techniques. As she witnessed this interesting clash of skills between the Sharingan and taijustu, she became aware of a mass of red hair peeping from over the stair railing.

"Hmm?" Iko said. "Now who could this be?"

As she looked closer, she was able to make out the ponytail and striking violet eyes of one of her students staring straight at Rock Lee.

"Nima?" said Iko to herself. "What could she be doing here? Shouldn't she be registering for the chunin exam with Midori and Kishu?"

Realizing that time was fast approaching for the group registration deadline, Iko figured she must have separated from the group to watch the ninja clad in a green spandex jumpsuit and the Uchiha kid fight and lost track of time. She chuckled as she pictured her shortest student, Midori, scolding Nima for her blatant disregard for punctuality and Kishu's anxiety of being separated from his twin sister for more than five seconds.

Not wanting her beloved students to miss the chunin exam due to a technicality, Iko reached in her ninja pack for a piece of parchment and an ink pen. She quickly jotted down the message, folded it, and held it in the palm of her hand as she pointed two fingers up in the standard ninja hand gesture. She watched as ice slowly began to envelop this small piece of paper. Once the note was completely covered, she lifted her hand up, lining it up with Nima's forehead, and blasted it forward with a small burst of chakra.

She giggled a bit as she watched her student fall back from the impact and stealthily rush down the stairs moments later.

Now back to the present, Iko watched as this Rock Lee genin was about to unleash some sort of special move on the battered Uchiha ninja. While she was watching intently to witness exactly what this ability entailed, the move was suddenly cutting short with a flying pinwheel pinning Rock Lee's unraveled white cloth to the wall and a red and yellow turtle mysteriously appearing, thus, ending the battle.

"What a lovely turtle," Iko stated seemingly unfazed by this strange turn of events unlike the Uchiha ninja and his two teammates, a kunoichi with pink hair and a ninja with a bright orange jumpsuit.

She listened as the turtle scolded Rock Lee for attempting to use a forbidden technique. Hearing that the move he was about to perform was forbidden sparked Iko's curiosity and she regretted the battle ending as soon as it did.

"Geez, first having the great Beast elude me and now this," Iko thought as she reflected on her misfortunes. "This has just not been my day."

However, her mood immediately brightened when she heard the turtle make an announcement.

"Come on out, Gai-sensei!" the turtle exclaimed and a poof of smoke appeared. (8)

Finally thinking her luck had turned around, she waited as the smoke cleared and lo and behold who was standing there, but Gai in all his glory.

"Hey, what's shakin?!" Gai shouted in a rather unusual position on top of the turtle. "How ya doin everybody? Life treatin ya good?" (9)

Iko nearly swooned right off the branch she was perched on. Her heart began to race as she witnessed Gai make his grand entrance.

"Finally, I found him!" she thought with a grin on her face.

She continued to watch as a spat erupted between the ninja in the orange jumpsuit and Rock Lee over the glory of Gai-sensei. She chuckled as she compared Rock Lee and Gai juxtaposed next to each other and the eerie similarities between each of them.

"Now, that's what you call a dedicated student," Iko thought with a smile. "I wonder if Nima would let me dress her in a black undershirt and grey sweater. Or perhaps Midori if I caught her off guard."

As Iko mused at the idea, she was startled to see Gai suddenly punch his twin halfway across the room.

"What happened?" Iko thought as she tried to piece together the situation. "They seemed so close before."

She was relieved to see them tearfully reconcile with each other in a manly student teacher embrace with the backdrop of an ocean and a sunset. As they were ready to take off and Iko prepared herself to pounce, the ninja in the orange jumpsuit and the kunoichi with the pink hair halted these two.

"Geez, don't those kids have a chunin exam to go to?" she grumbled with a pout on her face. "So many distractions."

Gai stopped and proceeded to bestow a punishment of 500 laps on Rock Lee for attempting to use a forbidden jutsu and interfering with the chunin exam which Rock Lee joyfully accepted. He then looked up at the ninja squad and asked how Kakashi was. Hearing his name immediately sparked her memory.

"That name again," thought Iko as she once again attempted to determine how she knew this individual. "I suppose that must be his squad. Do I know him through his students?"

Failing to recognize any of them, she waited for Gai's answer to their question asking him if he knew Kakashi. Gai proceeded to inform them that he and Kakashi were archrivals. At hearing this bit of information, she made a huge epiphany.

"Yes! That's right!" she said, excited of her discovery and a little embarrassed she could not remember his name. "Kakashi Hatake is the Copy Ninja, Gai's eternal rival. How could I forget such a famous ninja in our village?"

She witnessed Gai's amazing speed as he quickly teleported behind Kakashi's confused squad and announced their score of forty-nine to fifty with the score in his favor, much to the surprise of the Uchiha kid, the ninja with the orange jumpsuit, and the kunoichi with pink hair.

"Well, of course," Iko thought as if these genin were missing something so blatantly obvious. "He's Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey. How could anyone outdo him?"

Gai apologized to Kakashi's squad for all the trouble and wished Lee luck before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke along with his turtle. Iko proceeded to frantically scan the area above on the roofs and trees and below on the ground. Finally, she witnessed Gai in standing on the ground speaking with his turtle and acted accordingly.

"Oh, no you don't," Iko said quickly ascending down from each of the branches trying desperately to reach the ground before he left. "I've got you where I want you."

However, before she could reach the ground, the turtle Gai was speaking with disappeared in yet another white cloud of smoke and Gai was just about to sprint away again. Not wanting to lose sight of him, she planted both feet on a tree branch just above him.

"Wait!" Iko shouted.

Hearing this female voice from behind him, Gai quickly turned around, thinking it might be a damsel in distress, and came face to face with Iko who was hanging upside down from the tree branch. Oh, what a lovely sight she was to behold with her frazzled hair hanging limp below her, breathing heavily, and clutching a Leaf Village headband to her chest. Startled to see this unfamiliar kunoichi in such an unusual position, Gai took a step back.

"Uh, hello there, young lady?" Gai said nervously. "Was that you calling?"

Iko's heart began to beat wildly out of her chest. It had just dawned upon her that she was actually talking to the Green Beast. This almost mythological figure she had pestered countless jonin and chunin about between her missions and responsibilities to her team, like a devout fan. She hung there for a moment trying to regain her composure and formulate what she was going to say. Despite yearning to meet with Gai, Iko had not exactly planned what she was going to say.

"W-why, yes, yes I am," she started, cheerful that he was simply addressing her. "Please excuse my appearance, but are you Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Maito Gai?"

Honored to have someone refer to him by his self-proclaimed title, Gai's face immediately brightened as his gleaming white grin appeared on his face and he placed his hands on is hips.

"Yes, I am, my dear," Gai beamed. "Is there something the Green Beast can help you with?"

Glad that the awkwardness of their first meeting had faded, a blush began to creep along Iko's cheeks.

"Actually, I've been looking for you all day," Iko said with a sultry smile. "I had heard your squad was partaking in the chunin exam, as is mine, so I just had to meet their great leader whose name is renowned across Konoha."

With all these compliments and this praise coming from a beautiful young kunoichi no less; Gai's cheeks began to turn a shade of scarlet from all this unexpected attention. He reached his hand up towards the tree and grasped Iko's hand. He looked deep into the kunoichi's blue eyes.

"Might I ask what your name is lovely kunoichi?" Gai inquired.

Feeling the soft press of his hand over hers and that masculine, deep voice of his asking for her name, nearly made her fall from the branch. However, she managed to break herself from her fantasies to answer this amazing ninja's question."

"Iko," she said warmly. "My name is Iko."

"Such a beautiful, youthful name for a beautiful, youthful woman," Gai said with his signature wink and thumbs up. "I hope you and your squad burn with the power of youth and advance safely through the chunin exam. I would love to stay and chat, but duty calls."

He released her hand and turned to escape around the building. He gave her wave as he started off.

"Farewell, Iko-san," Gai said enthusiastically. "May we meet again under the trees."

Just as he disappeared around the corner, Iko's grip on the tree finally came free and she dropped to the ground. Luckily, the grass and dirt below her absorbed most of her fall. By now her face had turned a brightly red and she had a goofy grin plastered to her face. She peered up at the sun as she lay in the grass.

"He said my name," Iko purred. "The Green Beast actually said my name. I knew it was a good idea to wait a year before my squad took the chunin exam."

She stayed there for a few moments before picking herself off the ground. Brushing off her shirt and pants, she tied her bandana back onto her head. The metal sparkled as the sun reflected off it. She glanced back at the building behind her where the chunin exams were to take place.

"Perhaps, I can get a quick peek at my lovely students before the exams begin," she smiled and leapt to the third floor and vanished in search of her team.

Footnotes/Disclaimers:

(7) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(8) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(9) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	6. Chapter 6: Fifty-One to Forty-Nine

**Chapter 6: Fifty One to Forty Nine**

The large white doors leading to the chunin exam doors shut, finalizing Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno's decisions to participate in the chunin exam. Their sensei, Kakashi Hatake, waited outside, pondering his decision to allow them to partake in the chunin exam. He knew quite well how ruthless and brutal the exam was, yet he still allowed a group of young genin to partake in that bloodbath. Kakashi knew how integral this chunin exam was to advancing their rank and progressing as ninja. If these genin could not handle the pressure of this exam, how will they ever survive life as a shinobi?

However, Kakashi could not help but think back on Iruka and Gai's words to him during their meeting with the Third Hokage for the formalities of recommending one's genin for the chunin exam. Despite their attempts to persuade him to hold their genin back a year from the chunin exams, Kakashi remained adamant about his decision to recommend them.

"I wish I was as sure as I sounded," Kakashi thought, remembering the confident tone is his voice. "I wonder how they're doing. Even the cockiest of them must be scared."

As he sat reflecting on his decision, Kakashi caught a glimpse of someone down the hall. When he turned to identify this person, he witnessed a young woman in her mid-twenties with straight brown hair and blue eyes wearing brown shorts, a black undershirt, a grey sweater slit at the shoulders, and matching blue gloves cut at the fingers and a Leaf Village bandana. Kakashi watched as she scratched the back of her head with a confused expression, clearly lost.

"Cute," Kakashi thought as he looked her up and down, giving her the seal of approval. "Perhaps, I should go help her."

However, as Kakashi was about to begin walking toward her, she disappeared. Surprised, Kakashi stood there a moment trying to assess the situation.

"Ah," he said calmly. "She must have found her way. What a shame"

Just as he uttered these words, Kakashi felt a hand on his shoulders behind him. Startled, he quickly turned around to find this same woman behind him with a sheepish grin on her face.

"Hello, there," she said with a wave. "Sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you, but do you know where the room holding the chunin exams is located?"

Staring at this woman, Kakashi regained his composure and reassumed his cool demeanor. He stood there for a moment analyzing her.

"Could she be a lost genin trying to participate in the chunin exams?" Kakashi thought, knowing that he had seen older ninja who had still not advanced to the rank of chunin. "But her skills and the way she appeared behind me so quickly seem like that of a jonin."

"Um, hello?" the kunoichi said playfully waving her other hand across Kakashi's eye which snapped him out of his train of thought.

"Ah, yes, the chunin exams," Kakashi started, pointing to the white doors. "They are being held just passed this white door, but I'm afraid you just missed the registration deadline."

"Oh, no," Iko chuckled as she feigned a distraught expression. "Actually, I just came to see my adorable students off, but I suppose it wouldn't be the coolest thing to peek my head through that door now would it?"

Amused with this woman's flirty antics, a sly grin appeared on Kakashi's face, unbeknownst to this kunoichi since it was hidden under his mask.

"Might I ask what your name is?" Kakashi Hatake asked.

"My name is Iko," the kunoichi replied. "And you are Kakashi Hatake."

"Yes," said Kakashi, a bit confused. "Have we met before?"

"No, but how could anyone in the Leaf Village not know who the great Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake is?" Iko laughed nervously, knowing that just moments earlier she was one of those people.

"I see," Kakashi said, reflecting on his fame throughout the village. "I didn't know my name was so widespread."

"Oh, pishaw, don't be so modest," Iko said, still laughing nervously and giving him a pat on the shoulder.

"So which three genin in there are yours?" Kakashi inquired attempting to gather more information on Iko.

"My three students are Midori, Nima, and Kishu," said Iko. "Just look for the short kunoichi with the two red-headed twins. What about your squad? I managed to catch a glimpse of them, but I didn't catch all their names."

"My squad consists of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and…" Kakashi started.

Before he could list the third name, a loud shout erupted from the chunin exam room. Kakashi and Iko quickly turned around startled.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki" the voice shouted. "And I'm gonna beat every one of ya! Believe it!" (10)

Iko stifled a laugh with her hand as she recognized the voice of the spiky blonde haired ninja she witnessed during the fight between Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha. Witnessing Iko's reaction, Kakashi hung his head in embarrassment and let out a small chuckle.

"Nothing like one of your hyperactive genin to put a damper on your swag with the ladies," Kakashi thought as he saw his charm slowly fade away.

"Well, now, what an announcement," Iko said, recovering from her laughing fit. "Now, you said Sasuke Uchiha, correct?"

"Yes, he is my student," Kakashi answered, curious as to how she knew him.

"Well, I would be worried about him," Iko said with a grin. "Not too long ago he got his butt handed to him by Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey's student, Rock Lee. The Sharingan might not be as strong as you think."

"Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey?" Kakashi repeated, not familiar with this title. "You mean Gai?"

"Yes," Iko swooned with a blush emerging on her cheeks as she thought back to their first meeting. "Isn't he the greastest?"

Kakashi was a bit taken aback by this affectionate behavior. He had never known a woman or kunoichi so taken to Gai's obnoxious antics before. While he never found their rivalry to be anything, but a nuisance, something inside him just could not stomach Gai defeating him in a battle of attraction.

"Well, I must be off," Iko started and was just about to jump into the nearby trees.

"Wait, Iko!" Kakashi exclaimed and Iko stopped in mid-jump.

"Yes?" Iko replied.

Feeling there was no way this kunoichi could evade his advances over Gai's and determined that she must be confused somehow, Kakashi assumed his relaxed, confident stance with his hands in his pocket.

"Could I take you out to dinner sometime?" Kakashi asked in his most alluring voice. "My treat."

Taken aback by this sudden request, Iko stared at Kakashi for a second, and then began to giggle. A confused expression appeared on Kakashi's face. Whenever he asked a woman on a date, their faces flushed a dark shade of red, hearts formed in their eyes, and their souls practically left their bodies.

"I appreciate the offer," Iko started, trying to hold her laughter to not come off as rude. "But, I'm not interested."

With that, she disappeared into the trees, leaving Kakashi standing in the hallway completely dumbfounded.

"Did I really just lose…to Gai?" Kakashi thought to himself as he pictured that green spandex idiot giving his ridiculous thumbs up and wink.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(10) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	7. Chapter 7: Let the Games Begin

**Chapter 7: Let the Games Begin**

On the other side of the white doors opposite from the side Kakashi and Iko would soon have their awkward encounter, groups from different lands spread out across the countryside sat together in the squads of three. Several of these ninja wore fearsome, intimidating expressions on their faces, ready to spill some genin blood at the drop of a hat. Deep within this group were Midori, Nima, and Kishu. Midori still wore her signature irritated expression as she sat between the two red-heads.

"I knew this would happen," Midori grumbled to herself, referring to the snickers and chuckles she received as her group entered the room. "I just want to get this thing over with."

"Don't let 'em getcha down, Midori!" said Kishu patting her on the head, much to Midori's annoyance.

"You've two seconds to get your hands off me, or you'll be pulling back a stump," Midori whispered coldly under her breath, not wanting to cause a scene in front of the rest of this frightening room.

"We're gonna kick butt, right Nima?" Kishu said removing his hand from Midori's head and turning towards Nima.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Nima said, lost in thought as she continually glanced to her right to catch a glimpse of Rock Lee who was only a few seats down.

Midori traced the direction of Nima's sight to determine which shinobi in the room she kept desperately trying to get a look at from across the room. Now that they had officially registered and were awaiting the proctor, she was determined to get to the bottom of her strange behavior. Leaning inconspicuously behind Nima's back, she straightened her glasses to get a good view of this ninja who had captured Nima's attention. She caught sight of a ninja in a green spandex suit sitting between his two teammates, a kunoichi with a pink shirt and two brown buns on her head and a ninja with long brown hair and white eyes.

"Is that him?" Midori squinted analyzing him. "What a weirdo! What could she possibly want with someone like him?! Then again, she hangs out with this idiot to my left, so I guess it's not too strange."

Neji peeked over to his left, suspecting that they were being watched. Sure enough, he spotted Nima with his keen eyes shooting several glances Lee's way.

"Looks like you've got an admirer, Lee" Neji stated quietly.

"Huh?" Lee said as he peered to his left.

Once he made eye contact with the red-headed kunoichi across the room, she immediately blushed and turned away. As she was turning away, he observed a green feather earring zip through the wind from her left ear, but absent in her right ear.

"Could she be the person?" Rock Lee thought, as he remembered the green feather with a broken bit of string he spotted on the stairwell next to a puddle of water after the battle between him and Sasuke reached an abrupt end with the appearance of his beloved sensei. He had placed the feather into his pack in order to identify the person it belonged to later. Suspicious that she might have been spying on him for ill intentions, he stared at her for a few moments. However, he did not detect any malice emitting from her.

"Do you know her, Lee?" Tenten asked curious as to why this kunoichi was so interested in her teammate. Like Neji, she was quite unaccustomed to any other reactions besides disgust and irritation directed towards her obnoxious teammate as well as her sensei for that matter.

"No, I don't," Rock Lee answered. "But I just need to check something."

Just as Rock Lee was about to rise from his seat to approach this red-headed kunoichi, the white doors opened and the squad he had just encountered with Sasuke Uchiha entered the room.

All the ninja in the room sat in their seats staring down this new group of anxious genin that had just entered the room. It was Kakashi's squad Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha.

"Hey isn't that the group we saw in the hallway earlier, Nima?" Kishu said tapping his sister on the shoulder which broke her from her embarrassment of having made eye contact with Rock Lee.

"What? Oh, yeah," Nima said looking up. "That's them alright."

As Midori's group studied these new ninja, suddenly a blonde kunoichi with blue eyes clad in purple appeared and wrapped her arms around the ninja in blue from behind. They watched as the pink-haired kunoichi and this new girl bickered at each other. Midori mused at the kunoichi clad in purple.

"Ha, she's totally got that pink-haired dolt beat," Midori mused at the blonde kunoichi's clever insults. "She can't even come up with comeback fast enough."

Two more ninja followed suit, presumably her teammates. One had a black ponytail jutting from the back of his head and wore a bored, indifferent expression on his face while the other heavy-set one with red swirls on his cheeks was munching on a bag of potato chips. Moments later, another squad of three approached. The grinning ninja leading the pack wore a dark grey jacket with black fur peeking out from the hood and sleeves and had two red markings on his cheeks as well as a white dog perched on top of his head. His two followers consisted of a pale, blushing, white-eyed kunoichi with short black hair wearing a beige jacket and a tall, mysterious ninja with a large light grey jacket obscuring most of his face and black sunglasses despite the fact they were inside.

"Could those nine be the rookies everyone is talking about?" Midori wondered as she watched these loud, clearly inexperienced genin call attention to themselves and earn the deadly stares of everyone around them. "They're gonna be eaten alive."

As she watched the dynamics of these three squads, a ninja with glasses and grey hair tied back in a ponytail approached the group and advised them to quiet down before they earned the wrath of everyone in the room, confirming they were the new rookies.

"Finally, someone's shutting them up," mumbled Midori. "What would possess them to enter such an exam?"

Midori watched as this Kabuto character whipped out a few orange cards with kanji on the back. He placed one card on the ground inserted some chakra to prove his abilities. Once a map of the villages appeared on one the cards, he reshuffled and asked for the genin something in which the ninja in blue responded. However, she was not in hearing distance of this group and cupped her hand around her ear to try and grasp what they were saying.

"What's going on over there?" Midori grumbled frustrated. "Obviously, it's quite secretive and I want in on it!"

Midori, Nima, and Kishu watched the boy in the orange jumpsuit slump over and tremble. The kunoichi with pink hair attempted to reconcile him.

"How come that guy's shaking?" Kishu asked.

"Ha, betcha he's already fallen under the pressure and the exam hasn't even started yet," Midori chuckled condescendingly with her hands folded across her chest.

"Poor guy," Nima said.

Then suddenly, without warning, this seemingly defeated ninja let out a shout and pointed to the room full of ninja with his other hand on his hips.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki" the boy in the orange jumpsuit shouted with a grin. "And I'm gonna beat every one of ya! Believe it!" (11)

Everyone in the room was silent until the blonde kunoichi and pink-haired kunoichi began to throw jabs at one another again. Kishu began to laugh at such a spontaneous announcement from a ninja who seemed as though he was about to crumble.

"I love this kid," Kishu laughed with tears welling in his eyes. "Don't you, Nima?"

"He's something alright," Nima responded trying to stifle her own laughter, unfazed by this bizarre display given her close relationship with her equally spastic brother.

Contrary to her aloof teammates, Midori was fuming and her face turned scarlet.

"How can you idiots just sit there and laugh?!" she snapped. "Don't you realize he's talking about us, too! Grrr, I just want to smack that stupid grin right off his face!"

While the twins were experiencing a laughing fit and Midori was plotting that spiky blonde ninja's demise, they failed to notice three ninja slip silently through the crowd. Before they knew it, one ninja with spiky black hair and cow-print pants became airborne and threw two kunai at the bespectacled ninja. Luckily, Kabuto dodged the attack, but another mummified ninja with a large fur pelt on his back was ready to pick up where his teammate left off. It seemed as though he was about to land a blow, but once again, Kabuto managed to evade the attack, or so he and everyone else in the room thought. Suddenly, his glasses shattered and he began to vomiting uncontrollably on the ground. Midori, Nima, and Kishu sat there with their mouths wide open.

"W-What happened?" Nima stuttered trying to piece together what happened.

"Midori?" said Kishu searching for an answer from his miniature teammate. However, she was also trying to figure out the situation herself.

"What in the world?! I was sure he dodged the attacks! They never laid a finger on him!" Midori thought as she watched the three Sound ninja towering over the ailing Kabuto. "We'll have to watch out for these mysterious Sound ninja."

Before anyone could ponder this sudden incident any further, a sudden explosion of white smoke erupted in the room.

"Alright, you baby-faced, degenerates!" The voice echoed throughout the room. "Pipe down and listen up!" (12)

Once the smoke cleared, a group of ninjas standing behind a tall, tan man with two scars wearing a bandana and a long, black trend coat became visible.

"It's time to begin," the man announced with beady black eyes. "I'm Ibiki Morino, your proctor, and from this moment, your worst enemy." (13)

Midori, Nima, and Kishu each took a gulp and prepared themselves for what this proctor and this chunin exam had in store.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(11) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(12) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(13) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	8. Chapter 8: Test Anxiety

**Chapter 8: Test Anxiety**

Before proceeding to the first stage of the exam, Ibiki addressed the Sound Village ninja who attacked Kabuto. He made it quite clear that there would be no fighting unless authorized by the proctors and anyone who challenges his authority would be immediately disqualified. All the ninja behind this Ibiki stared out at the group of genin with menacing grins on their faces. Ibiki announced that they each ninja would come forward to turn in their paper work and receive their numbers designating where they would sit for the written exam.

Everyone began to approach these intimidating ninja at the front to collect their numbers as well as other materials, such as pencils and erasers, for the exam. Midori stepped forward first and a spiky black haired ninja took her papers. She noticed that he seemed rather similar to the ninja with the red nose guarding the door earlier on that day, but she soon put that out of her mind when this ninja gave her a condescending grin and playfully held her number and other testing materials out of reach.

"Aren't you a little young to be participating in the chunin exams?" he chuckled. "Want me to walk you back to the academy?"

For a moment, the ominous proctor's warning slipped from her memory and a fleeting thought of strangling this shinobi entered her mind. However, she restrained herself and snatched her materials from the ninja once he lowered them to her level. She stomped away from the man and glanced at her number.

"21," Midori thought as she scanned each of the desks. "Smack dab in the center."

Nima received her number and materials from a ninja with glasses and Kishu received his from someone with brown hair jutting out from underneath a Leaf Village bandana that also looked strangely similar to one of the ninja causing trouble by the door earlier. Nima and Kishu compared their numbers to see if they were near each other, but unfortunately, Kishu was near in the front and Nima was located to the right side of the room. Kishu held up his hand for a high five which Nima reciprocated as they wished each other luck and made their way to their seats. Midori nearly hurled at this display.

"Come on, can't those two be apart for five seconds?" Midori muttered as she tried to organize her area.

As Nima started for her seat, she soon realized her seat was just behind Rock Lee. She clutched her papers and pencils close to her chest as she came closer and closer to the handsome ninja in green spandex. Each step she took made her face turn redder and redder. Rock Lee glanced up at Nima who quickly turned away and accidentally dropped her pencils and eraser. She scrambled for these items and swiftly took her seat before she could embarrass herself any further.

"I wonder why she is so fidgety," Rock Lee wondered, still a bit suspicious since he did not know her intentions for spying on his fight with Sasuke Uchiha and the heavy atmosphere of the chunin exam iteself. "Could she be anxious because of this exam?"

He wanted to put this entire issue to bed and directly ask her exactly what she was doing on the stairwell moments earlier. However, he quickly restrained himself from turning his seat around and facing this unknown kunoichi.

"No," he thought as he reflected on his position. "I cannot make an enemy out of someone who I have my back to. She seems harmless, but I cannot risk it. Not so early in the exam. Perhaps later I will confront her."

Oblivious to Rock Lee's secret suspicions, Nima could not help but stare at his broad shoulders and trim physique from behind.

"Wow," she drooled. "He definitely trains daily. Look at that bod."

Before her thoughts could drift into some rather explicit fantasies, she glanced at the front of the room to see her brother frantically waving to her from the front of the room. She smiled and began to wave as well. Midori gripped her pencil tightly in her hand contemplating who she should throw it at first when she caught the intimidating proctor glare at Kishu. Given her vantage point, Nima saw this icy stare and immediately put her hand down. However, since Kishu was seated at the front, he did not realize the daggers in the proctor's eyes right in front of him and continued waving until he heard the proctor's rough voice.

"Eyes front," Ibiki said coldly.

Kishu immediately turned around and placed both his hands on the desk.

"Sorry, sir," Kishu laughed nervously as he lifted his left hand behind his head.

However, he had swung his arm behind his head so abruptly that he bumped a girl behind him who was trying to get to her seat. She let out a little squeak and one of her pencils fell to the floor. Kishu turned around to apologize, but became speechless when he received a good look at this kunoichi. Her large, white eyes under her worried brow staring downcast at the floor as well as the subtle blush emerging on her pale, porcelain skin first caught his attention. Her raven hair was cut short with only two long strands falling in from of her ears and she was wearing a large beige jacket that left much to the imagination unlike some rather revealing kunoichi's outfits in the testing room. He noticed her hands tightly gripping her test materials begin to tremble as well as the Leaf Village headband tied around her neck.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered as she quickly sat in her seat and placed her testing materials on the desk in front of her to free her hands and retrieve the fallen pencil. However, just as she was about to lean over and pick up the rogue pencil, a blushing Kishu smiled as he put up a hand to stop her.

"No, no, I'm sorry," he whispered as he retrieved her pencil from the floor. "I was the one who bumped into you. Here's your pencil. Sorry for being so clumsy."

Taken aback by this stranger's kindness during such a tense exam, this flustered kunoichi could not help but blush even more and nervously push her two index fingers in front of her chest.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry, t-thank you," she stuttered with her eyes still staring at the floor afraid to make eye contact and she reached out a delicate hand to grab her pencil from Kishu. As she reclaimed her pencil from Kishu, her soft hand briefly brushed against his hand and his face turned nearly completely red, making his freckles almost invisible.

Not wanting her to see his flushed face, Kishu turned away as she organized her area.

"What a babe!" Kishu thought as he took a quick peek at her. "She's nothing like Nima or Midori or any girl I've ever met!"

Growing up around his spastic, energetic mother and sister as well as being placed in a group with his vocal, short-tempered teammate, Midori, Kishu had never had much interaction or experience with such a reserved, timid kunoichi before and could not help but fall for her. After getting a second glance at her, he realized that she was one of the nine rookies who approached that Naruto Uzumaki's squad a few minutes earlier. He had not recognized her initially because she had her back to him when he was seated with his team, but now that he received a flash of her beauty, he knew he would not forget a face as lovely as hers. While he was relishing in her pure innocence, he suddenly smacked his forehead after he made a sudden realization about this beautiful angel to his right.

"I'm such an idiot!" he cursed at himself. "I didn't even ask for her name!"

Kishu wanted to solve this mystery by asking this raven-haired kunoichi what her name was. However, he felt it might be too forward of him to ask this sweet girl her name after they only just met and he had not even taken her on a date. As Kishu thought he would never know this young kunoichi's name, he suddenly heard her speak to a ninja next to her.

"Um, Naruto?" she said softly to a ninja holding his head as if he were in pain. (14)

Kishu peeked over her shoulder and immediately recognized the spiky blonde haired ninja in the orange jumpsuit and whiskers.

"Hey, that's the rookie genin who had the giant outburst earlier and got everyone riled up!" Kishu thought. He was initially excited to have such a character only one seat down from him, but then his elation soon faded as a lingering thought entered his mind. "How does she know him?"

Naruto looked up to see who addressed him and sat up in his seat after seeing a familiar face.

"Oh, where'd you come from, Hinata?" Naruto asked with a smile. "I didn't see you there." (15)

"What?! How could he not notice such a beauty sitting right next to him?! Anyone would've noticed her a mile away!" Kishu fumed, neglecting to recall that he himself had failed to notice her when she approached Naruto earlier. While he was irritated by Naruto's complete indifference to her, he was glad he finally learned her name. Kishu glanced at this Hinata and noticed her unusual reaction to his ninja. The blush on her cheeks flushed a darker shade of red and she once again looked down at the ground for comfort, but this time she had a faint smile on her face.

"I wanted to say…" Hinata began as though she were selecting each word with great care. "…good luck and everything." (16)

"Oh, thanks," Naruto replied. (17)

Watching this awkward exchange between Hinata and Naruto, a horrifying thought entered Kishu's mind.

"Don't tell me…" he thought as he studied each of Hinata's mannerisms when she spoke to this ninja in the orange jumpsuit. "…the blush…the smile…the tone in her voice…could she…could she like this oblivious rookie?!"

Before he could ponder on the matter any further, the chilling proctor tapped a piece of chalk on a green chalkboard and addressed the entire testing room.

"Everyone, eyes front," Ibiki ordered as everyone focused their attention to the front of the room. "There are a few rules you need to be aware of and I won't answer any questions, so you better pay attention the first time around." (18)

Midori, Kishu, Nima, the rookies, and everyone in the room listened as he began to explain the first rule. Midori's ears perked up at the mention that everyone would begin with a score of ten points.

"We're all starting with a perfect score?!" Midori thought as the proctor continued to explain that one point would be deducted for each wrong answer. "That's good for those two idiots. All they gotta do is make sure they hold on to those points. They've practically aced the test without even answering a single question yet! They should be able to do that much at least, right?"

As Midori began to doubt their abilities, the proctor provided even more bad news with the second condition of the exam.

"Teams will pass or fail based on the total scores of all three members," he stated as a worried expression emerged on every genin's face in the testing room, but none as prevalent as Midori's. (19)

"Great, just great," she fumed, wanting to walk out of the room right then and there. "So what's passing? At least fifty percent? So fifteen points? If I can get a perfect ten, then all those two would need to do is somehow get a five with their combined scores. Can they even muster that much?"

As if verbalizing her very thoughts, the pink-haired kunoichi who was squabbling with the blonde-haired kunoichi earlier slammed her head on the desk and complained to the proctor who immediately silenced her. He then proceeded to provide these tense genin with even more good news, as he described another method of losing points through cheating. He explained that the ominous sentinels seated at the right and left of the room would mark down every incidence of cheating they detected and each time they were caught, two points were deducted. Therefore, if they were caught five times, then that person would immediately fail. Midori frowned at this realization.

"Dang it! Their only chance at getting some points out the window!" Midori thought, throwing all morality out the window. "Could it get any worse?"

As if answering her question, the proctor dropped the ultimate bombshell on this room of frantic ninja.

"One more thing," the proctor began. "If any candidate should get a zero or fail the test, then the entire team fails." (20)

As many ninja in the room erupted in shock and others possessed a fearful expression on their faces, questioning their abilities, rested her forehead on the edge of her desk and stared dejectedly at her feet with a defeated expression on her face.

"Why me?" Midori mumbled as she thought back to the miserable moment she first met those dumbbells.

Before she could wallow in her own self-pity, the proctor explained the one hour time constraints and the last question that would be given during the last fifteen minutes and instructed everyone to begin their exams.

As everyone began frantically clacking their pencils, Midori lifted her head from its spot and picked up her pencil.

"Whatever," she grumbled as she wrote her name at the top of the paper. "I'll have to deal with that situation later. Right now I've gotta get start us off with a ten."

Being one of the top students in her class when it came to written exams, she felt confident in her skills which she proved by whizzing through the first question asking the student to decipher the code.

"Easy," she smiled at such a promising start. "This test will be a piece of cake."

This momentum followed to the second question regarding the physics of throwing a kunai from a certain position. However, Midori's confidence began to wane as she hit her first roadblock with the third question which took her an extended amount of time to determine how to answer the question. Trying to regain her composure, she moved on to questions four and five, but they were just as equally difficult and took a fair amount of time to solve. By the time she reached the sixth question, her confidence was completely crushed as she simply stared at the blank answer space with no earthly idea how to solve it. Midori felt herself slipping and shut her eyes for a moment to collect herself.

"Stay calm, Midori, stay calm," she thought to herself. "You're still at nine points. The answer will probably come to you later. Move on to the other questions and come back."

While this temporarily lifted her self-esteem, she soon deflated once again as she kept scanning the other questions and saw her points slip from nine to eight to seven and finally six. At this point, her heart began to race, her hands began shaking, and she descended into a panic as she hysterically began scanning each of the questions over and over again. How daunting it was to see one column of answers filled and the other completely blank.

"Oh, no! This is not good, this is not good at all!" she thought as she gritted her teeth. "At this point I only have six points! And if the tenth question is as difficult as these last five questions, then that drops it down to five! Aw, man, if I can't even answer these questions, how in the world can I expect those brain dead lunatics to get at least this many?!"

Little did Midori know that the two red-heads at the front and to the right of the room were experiencing a similar crisis. Nima and Kishu both managed to answered the first two questions, but drew a complete blank for the remaining seven.

"Oh, dear," Nima thought as she to grip the edge of the desk with her right hand.

"Aw, man," Kishu mumbled, grabbing his left bicep to stop it from shaking.

As these three descended into hopelessness and despair, a sudden solution entered each of their minds as they contemplated whether the high risk associated with this decision was feasible. Midori, Kishu, and Nima determined that if they could not come up with the answers on their own, then they would have to look to other people in the room to fill in the missing spaces on their sheet and cheat! While it was certainly a ballsy move to attempt to discover the answers their remaining questions in this cramped room full of rather intimidating ninja and run the possibility of being caught five times by the sentinels, if they did nothing, then they would all fail. How could they call themselves ninja if they could not even pass a written test? Also, they noticed several other ninja in the room assuming the same cheating strategy, thus, solidifying that this was the goal of the written exam in the first place. As each of them resolved to take on this perilous task, Midori, Kishu, and Nima began to observe their surroundings and develop their own strategies.

Luckily for Nima, she did not have to search very far since the answers were right above her. For some time, she had noticed Rock Lee continually glancing up at the ceiling and then finally tying his red headband around his head. Curious as to the reason for his strange behavior, Nima followed his line of sight and spotted a series of four mirrors around the light fixture moving every so often. These mirrors were positioned in such a manner that they reflected the tops of several genins' heads as well as their answer sheets. Since she and Rock Lee were relatively close to each other, Nima was able to clearly see the mirror Rock Lee had latched onto and was quickly transferring the reflections of the mirror onto his paper.

"I knew sitting behind him was a good thing!" Nima blushed as she proceeded to copy the answers onto her sheet as well.

From the center of the testing room, Midori caught a glimpse of Nima's discovery and could not help by smile.

"Hmph, guess she's not COMPLETELY useless," Midori thought, impressed, but not wanting to give her too much credit for a simple stroke of luck. "Alright, now I've gotta find a way to get a hold of the answers from someone and somehow get them to Kishu before he does something stupid."

Given his unfavorable position at the third desk from the front of the room as well as the fact that he managed to catch the attention of the proctor who was overlooking the entire room silently a few feet from him prior to the start of the actual testing, she knew he was under intense scrutiny and it would be nearly impossible for him to cheat without being caught. However, knowing Kishu, she figured he would probably try to cheat anyway despite his disadvantages and end up getting caught five times by the sentinels, thus, failing all of them. Therefore, she had to act fact.

First, she had to determine which ninja in her vicinity had the answers. Hoping there may be someone in the same row as her she could easily steal the answers from; her hopes were crushed when she used her peripheral vision to see if they had any of her missing answers and only found two tall, burly genin with ridiculous scrawls and scribbles in their blanks who looked as though they were about to break down and cry.

"Really guys?" she thought rolling her eyes. "Man up, I'm half y'alls size with more balls than the two of you put together."

Crossing these two off the list, she observed the desk in front of her to see if there were any potential candidates. Fortunately, diagonally to her left, a male ninja seemed to have words flowing from his pencil as she saw him go from question to question to question as if they were nothing.

"Jackpot!" she grinned as she began formulating a plan of action. "Now all I've got to do is find a way to move him out of the way so I can see his answers more clearly."

Concerned with the watchful sentinels to her right and left making small notes on their clipboards, she was now grateful that her short height finally served a purpose by obscuring her view from these sentinels between the trembling ninjas to her right and left. She flipped her long braid with ribbon intertwined in it on her right behind her shoulder. While this may have seemed like an insignificant gesture to those around her, Midori was actually preparing to make her move. With everything in place, she closed her eyes and gently reached her hand behind her head and touched the braid.

"Alright, Midori, concentrate," she told herself as she sat in silence. To the average person, nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary with this girl simply sitting her seat resting her hand behind her head. However, when one looked closely, they would have detected a pink ribbon peeking out from the bottom of her aquamarine braid carefully unzipping the beige pack attached to her side only enough to slip through it.

"Let's see," Midori thought as she brushed her pink ribbon along the contents of her pack, having memorized their arrangement. "Red…Orange…Yellow…Green! Got it!"

After retrieving what she wanted, the pink ribbon slowly remerged, enveloping the item Midori wanted, and slinked back into her braid. Midori then grabbed her braid and pulled it to the front. Since her hair nearly touched the floor while she was seated, she could not simply reach down and grab the item or the sentinels might become suspicious. Therefore, Midori tried to nonchalantly twirl her hair around her hand in a bored, uninterested manner, so as not to alert the sentinels. Once her wrist was nearly completely covered with hair and end of her braid was nearing her right hand, she swiftly grabbed the item and let her braid gradually slip from her wrist and fall to the floor. She cracked her knuckles under the table and switched the object to her left hand rested it on the left side of her bench while she brought her right hand above the table and grabbed her pencil.

"Ha, this guy won't know what's coming to him," Midori thought as she pinpointed the ninja and closed her eyes once again to concentrate. A piece of green ribbon nearly identical to shade of the green floor began to creep from under her left hand and slowly stretch out onto the flooring, hugging every surface and orifice it encountered in order to remain hidden form the sentinels.

"Almost there," Midori thought as the ribbon began making its way up the bench in front of her right behind the ninja. However, Midori received a shock once she heard a kunai hit a table towards the front as well as a verbal outburst form a ninja with brown hair at the front.

"What's going on?!" Midori panicked as a horrifying thought entered her mind. "Don't tell me Kishu got caught! NO!"

However, it soon became clear that it was the ninja who stood up that was being failed for cheating five times. This ninja seemed to spark a domino effect in the room as countless numbers were called out stating they were failed. As the room began to empty, Midori realized she needed to act fast and focused on the task in front of her.

Luckily, the ninja was wearing a loose fitting shirt that was not tucked into his pants. The green ribbon slowly disappeared beneath his shirt. Moments later, the ninja twitched and reached his right hand over to scratch his left shoulder blade, turning his entire body, which allowed Midori a clear view to his answer sheet.

"Victory!" Midori congratulated herself as she quickly memorized each of the answers and forced the ribbon to return to her hand. She quickly jotted the answers down and stared at her paper for a moment, satisfied that everything was finally filled in.

"Beautiful," she gushed. "Now, to move on to the second part of the plan."

She placed her pencil on the table and cracked her hands under the table. Nothing unusual. However, this was simply a rouse and her actual goal was to switch the green ribbon to her right hand. Trying to cleverly hide the ribbon under her hand and folds of her large, baggy, red sleeves, she proceeded to briefly copy down an abridged version of each of the answers to the nine questions on to the ribbon. Once she was finished, she looked ahead towards Kishu to estimate the distance between them. Fortunately, he was in front of her than to the right and left, so her ribbons could travel in a straight line rather than veering to the right or left which would take even more time and effort and increase the risk of being caught. However, there were four desks separating them which means she had quite a bit of ground to cover and she could not see if her ribbon was properly concealed or not from the sentinels. Also, she needed to find some way to get Kishu's attention as well.

"This will be much more difficult than the little tickle I gave that ninja," Midori thought as she peered at the clock on the wall. "But there's only five minutes left, so I can't waste any more time. Here goes nothing!"

She placed her right hand this time beside her and once again her green ribbon blended into the floor and began to make its way towards the front of the room.

"Please make it in time," Midori prayed as she frantically pushed her ribbons forward racing to beat the clock while an oblivious Kishu sat staring hopelessly at his mostly empty page, desperate for some type of miracle to fall from the sky or in this case, rise from the ground.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(14) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(15) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(16) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(17) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(18) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(19) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media

(20) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	9. Chapter 9: To Cheat or Not To Cheat?

**Chapter 9: To Cheat or Not To Cheat?**

Earlier in the exam, while Midori was trying to attain her answers form the ninja at the desk in front of her and Nima was retrieving her answers from the series of mirrors, Kishu was still trying to contemplate a strategy. Unfortunately, his jutsu and ninja skills could not exactly be utilized discretely here in such a tightly packed area. Hoping his answers were nearby, he took off his ninja headband and held it at an angle on the desk. However, he could not keep it at a proper angle to view their answer sheet without sparking the attention of the sentinels. He knew his saving grace was Hinata who was to his right who seemed to have quite a few of her answers marked in, but his failure to see her answer sheet from the reflection of his headband as well as his inability to see over the folds of her beige jacket made it nearly impossible. Also, his conscience began to kick in as his guilt about attempting to cheat on this beautiful kunoichi he just met won over his passion to pass this exam.

"How can I call myself a man if I take advantage of such an innocent soul?!" he thought to himself as he imagined breaking her fragile, little heart through his betrayal against her. He soon snapped back to reality when he heard Hinata's angelic voice begin speaking again to the ninja to her left.

"Naruto," she began, once again with a red blush upon her cheeks. "If you want, I can…um…show you my test." (21)

Naruto stared at Hinata in shock, much like Kishu was on the other side of her.

"Is she really saying what I think she's saying?!" Kishu thought flabbergasted. "She would put herself on the line for this guy who isn't even part of her squad?! Wow, she really does like him."

Kishu sullenly reflected on his own chances with this lovely, kind kunoichi and his shoulders slumped slightly.

"Hey, Hinata, can I ask you something?" Naruto asked, catching Hinata's as well as Kishu's attention who was listening intently to the conversation. "Why would you want to show me your answers?" (22)

This raven-haired girl jumped slightly at the abruptness of the question and clenched her hands as the blush on her began to spread.

"Why?" Hinata began with her voice quivering. "Well…just because…well…you see…it's just…it's because I don't want you to have to leave…" (23)

Naruto and Kishu both equally surprised at Hinata's response just stared at this fidgeting, timid kunoichi as she resumed speaking again.

"Well…um…" she continued, making strange hand gestures. "It would be nice if we could all stick together. I mean the nine of us. Being rookies and all." (24)

Blindly accepting her answers, Naruto smiled and gave a small chuckle.  
"I guess that makes sense, I suppose," Naruto reasoned. "I thought you were trying to pull a fast one there. Sorry." (25)

Kishu restrained his clenched fist from reaching over and slugging Naruto in the face for his insolence.

"How could you even suspect her of something like that?!" Kishu fumed. "She doesn't think like that!"

Kishu became even more enraged at seeing this ninja form a sly grin on his face as the kunoichi slowly slipped her paper underneath her arms so Naruto could view the answers.

"No, Hinata, don't do it!" Kishu thought frantically. "He's only trying to take advantage of you! He's only trying to trick you and get you caught by the sentinels!"

However, before this spiky blonde ninja could even peek at her answer sheet, a kunai suddenly whizzed past his face and hit the desk behind him. Naruto, Hinata, and Kishu as well as every other genin in the room froze.

"No!" Kishu thought as he shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, anticipating that the sentinels were going to fail Hinata. However, he breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that the sentinels were actually failing a ninja behind them who had stood up. As countless numbers were being called out as having failed, Kishu heard Hinata quietly address Naruto.

"Psst, Naruto," Hinata whispered as Naruto turned his horror stricken face towards her. "Go ahead, look." (26)

Kishu glared at Naruto as he hesitated and considered Hinata's offer.

"That slimeball," Kishu cursed under his breath. "Even after all that's happened to still go after her answers…what a jerk off!"

However, Kishu's opinion of Naruto soon rose once he heard his response.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," Naruto began. "But no." (27)

Hinata and Kishu both sat in shock as Naruto refused her offer after jumping at the opportunity only moments earlier. He turned and gave Hinata a large smile.

"Hey, I'm an ace ninja," he stated confidently. "I don't need to cheat to pass this." (28)

"Uh, well, OK, but um…" replied Hinata as she glanced at Naruto's unmarked answer sheet. "Are you sure?" (29)

"Yeah, are you sure?" Kishu repeated to himself, suspicious of Naruto's sudden change of heart. "What trick do you have up your sleeve?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied to Hinata, now with a serious expression on his face. "Besides, if I got caught or anything, I wouldn't want you getting into trouble." (30)

Hinata appeared as though she was about to swoon over Naruto's concern for her. Despite his jealousy towards Naruto for dropping such a romantic line, Kishu could not help but respect Naruto for resolving not to drag Hinata into his problems and risk her failing the exam.

"Uh, oh, yes, you're right," Hinata replied rapidly as she regained her composure. "Stupid idea, I'm sorry." (31)

"Nah, forget about it," Naruto chuckled nervously as he returned to his blank paper. (32)

Kishu gazed at this ninja and could not help but respect and admire him. Despite his dire situation, he did not succumb to temptation and decided to pave his own way to victory in this written exam.

"Guess that kid isn't as bad as I thought," Kishu smiled and returned to his own paper and stared at his own two questions, waiting to see his fate as the clock continued ticking.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(21) - (32) Quotes from English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	10. Chapter 10: Sink or Swim

**Chapter 10: Sink or Swim**

Chapter 9

As minute after minute gradually ticked away and other ninja were attempting to frantically collect their final answers, including possessing another's body and distracting test takers with sand, there remained five minutes left until the tenth question would be given. Several students anxiously awaited this daunting mystery, either concerned that it might compromise their performance up until now or praying that it will be their saving grace in this written exam. Only one person in the room appeared to be focusing on something other than the tenth question. That person was Midori who was simply desperately trying to beat the clock as she pumped chakra through her green ribbon to reach the front of the room and give Kishu the answers.

"Faster, faster!" Midori urged herself as she glimpsed at the clock with now only two minutes left. "At this rate, it won't make it there in time! Come on, Midori!"

However, despite this pep talk with herself, she realized that this was easier said than done. She could very well get her ribbon across the room in short amount of time no problem. Her problem lied in trying to have the green ribbon remained camouflaged with the benches and floor below, so as not to alert the sentinels. Also, it did not help that she could not physically see the ribbons very well through the desks and benches, so she could not be sure that they were hidden. Therefore, given her limitations, rushing through this process would only prove to be her team's undoing. Despite her impatience and frustration, Midori knew she needed to feed the ribbon through slowly, and carefully. Thus far, she had successfully travelled passed two desks and two benches and was now tackling her final bench and desk.

"So close!" Midori thought as she concentrated hard to force her ribbons up and over these obstacles. "Kishu better appreciate this!"

Midori finally leapt those hurdles and was just about to alert Kishu of the green ribbon when suddenly the proctor made an announcement. She quickly glanced at the clock seeing that her time was up.

"Dang it!" she cursed at herself as she held her ribbons strictly in place. "I didn't make it in time! The sentinels will suspect something if Kishu suddenly marks his answer spaces for one through nine when everyone is on the tenth question! I hope mine and Nima's answers are sufficient enough to pass us!"

"Before I give you the question," the proctor announced with a foreboding tone in his voice. "There are some more rules you need to be aware of." (33)

As all the genin in the area held their breath waiting for this daunting question, the door suddenly creaked opened from the back revealing a ninja in black outfit with purple paint across his face and one of the sentinel ninja. Midori and several ninja recognized this ninja as the one who raised his hand during this exam to request a visit to the bathroom.

"Ah, made it just in time," the fearsome proctor stated with his lips curled in a smirk. "I hope you found your trip to the bathroom enlightening. Well take your seat." (34)

This ninja proceeded to walk down the aisle and assume his seat. Seeing that everyone was now present, the proctor continued.

"These rules are unique to question ten," Ibiki explained taking a step forward. "Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you." (35)

The room remained so quiet that a pin could be heard dropped as the trembling genin listened intently to these conditions, dreading the consequences.

"Very well then," the proctor began gazing out at these genin. "Rule number one, each of you is free to choose not to be given the final question. It's your decision." (36)

Every genin in the room assumed a puzzled expression as they tried to understand exactly what the proctor was saying.

"So it's optional?" Midori gathered as she herself was trying to comprehend this condition. "Does this mean our chances of passing will increase if we don't answer the question? Come on, what's he trying to say?"

As if repeating her concerns, a kunoichi towards the back of the room with four sandy blonde ponytails jutting from the back of her head and a Sand Village headband around her neck asked what would happen if they declined answering the question.

"If you choose not to take the tenth question, regardless of your answers to the other nine, you will get a zero," the proctor answered. "In other words, you fail and that means of course both your teammates fail as well." (37)

At this bit of news, the room erupted in gasps and whispers as each genin reasoned that the only rational option would be to accept the final question since failure was not an option.

"Like hell, I'll let all my efforts to answer the other nine questions go to waste!" Midori mumbled under her breath, irritated the proctor was even suggesting that she run away from this question after all the turmoil she went through to get the other nine. "Can he really think we're that ignorant? It's too obvious."

Realizing the genins obvious decision, Ibiki resumed his explanation.

"Not so fast," Ibiki warned as several perplexed genin faced the front once again. "You didn't let me finish." (38)

"I knew it," Midori muttered, realizing that each genin teams' passage could not be as simple as opting to take or refuse the final question. "What now?"

"If you do accept the question, but answer it incorrectly, you will not only fail…" the proctor began. "…you will be barred from taking the chunin exam ever again!" (39)

Every genin in the room fell silent and a look of fear and shock emerged on their faces as they absorbed exactly what this proctor said. Soon, unrest descended upon these genin as one ninja wearing a jacket with black fur poking out his sleeves and hood as well as a small white dog perched on top his head, pointing his finger at the proctor discrediting the rules by stating that there were genin in the room who had taken the chunin exam before.

"He does make a good point," Midori thought nervously as she glanced around the room and noticed some rather mature shinobi who could have passed as jonin. "How's he gonna explain that?"

The proctor began to laugh at this outburst as if this was the most ridiculous statement he had ever heard. Once he stopped laughed, he smiled at the crowd.

"I guess you're just unlucky," the proctor answered. "I wasn't making the rules before, but I am now. Of course, if you don't want to take it, you don't have to. If you're not feeling confident, then by all means skip it. You can come back and try again next year." (40)

He resumed his laughter as the genin in the room questioned their abilities and contemplated the consequences of their decision for themselves as well as their teammates. Several ninja panicked as they foresaw the end of their career as ninja of the Leaf Village forever. Midori's hand shook as she recalled all her hard work and training she committed to in order to get to this point and all the techniques and skills she acquired. Also, despite not particularly enjoying their company, she thought of her two teammates, Nima and Kishu, and how much being a shinobi meant to them as well as her responsibility to them as their team leader. Should she falter or one of the twins fail this question, then all of this would have been for nothing. This decision not only involved her, but the twins as well. She looked to the front at Kishu who began to nervously fiddle with the feather hanging from his ear and to the right at a fidgety Nima who was glancing at Midori, searching for an answer.

"What should I do?" Midori thought as she turned away from Nima, not wanting her to see the worry written all over her face. "Do I valiantly lead my troupe into battle and pray we can achieve victory, or do I retreat and allow my men to live and fight another day?"

Before Midori could provide Nima with an answer, the proctor addressed the room once again.

"Now then, if you're ready," the proctor began. "The tenth and final question. Those who do not want to take it raise your hand. Your number will be recorded and then you're free to go." (41)

Immediately, hands began to spring up all around the room as a symbol of defeat. The two teammates following the hand of the raised genin either wore an expression of relief, glad someone decided to save them from this difficult decision, or anger, disgusted that their teammate was too cowardly to attempt the final question and dragged them down with them. Witnessing these displays of weakness did not make Midori's decision any easier as she pondered on Nima and Kishu's own reactions to her decision once they left the room. If she raised her hand, would they thank her for saving them from ending their journey as shinobi or would they lose respect for her as their team leader? Also, if she did not raise her hand and they failed the tenth question, how could she ever face them again?

As she dwelled on the long-term consequences of her decision, Nima was also contemplating her situation since she had not received a clear answer from Midori. Midori always seemed to know what to do in these situations and always helped them pull through, so to see her faltering was very discouraging to Nima. Also, seeing her usually self-assured brother tugging at his feather earring at the front, further deflated her confidence. Searching for a strong, determined figure, she looked to the front at Rock Lee who sat straight in his seat confident in his abilities. Nima thought back to when she witnessed the fight between him and Sasuke and her promise to herself that she would prove herself and earn his respect. What would he think of her now if she raised her hand in defeat? Surely, he would lose respect for her for accepting defeat without a fight. However, if she did not raise her hand and failed to answer the question correctly, which was quite likely, how could she prove herself and reach his level when she is forced to remain a genin for the rest of her life?

Even at the front of the room, the usually energetic and confident Kishu found his resolve wavering. He glanced at his paper with his two lone answers. If he could not even answer all of the first nine questions, how could he possibly hope to answer the final one? If there was anyone who would bring the team down when it come to a challenge of intelligence, it was him. He and his team were well aware that his strength resided in his brawn rather than his brain. Initially, he was completely certain he would never raise his hand and admit defeat. However, as he realized that this decision involved more than just himself, he began to reconsider. If he refused to raise his hand and missed the question, not only would he have disappointed their leader, Midori, who worked tirelessly to make their team a success, but also his own sister, Nima, who looked to him for support as well. They always pushed each other to do better in training and they developed their skills together. What would happen to their strong relationship and bond if they remained genin forever?

Before Midori, Nima, and Kishu could dwell on their situation any further, their concentrations were broken when they saw a hand shoot up into the air. From their positions, they could see that familiar bright orange sleeve quivering in their air.

"Naruto…" Kishu thought, discouraged at seeing this strong ninja crumble before him. "…not you."

"That kid from earlier…," Nima thought, recalling his outburst from earlier. "…is really giving up?"

"Even that kid couldn't hack it," Midori muttered to herself, feeling as though all hope was now lost.

As they awaited this ninja clad in an orange jumpsuit to admit defeat, they were shocked to see this hand swiftly fall and slam down on his desk.

"Don't underestimate me!" he shouted. "I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want! You guys aren't going to scare me off! No way! I don't care if I do get stuck as a genin for the rest of my life! I'll still be hokage someday!" (42)

The room remained silent for a moment, surprised by this sudden outburst.

"This decision is one that could change your life," the proctor countered. "If for any reason you would rather quit now's your last chance." (43)

"No way, I never go back on my word," Naruto replied with a determined sparkle in his eye. "That's the way of the ninja." (44)

This genin's sudden declaration echoed throughout the hearts of the other ninja in the testing room, including Midori, Nima, and Kishu, and they soon found themselves inspired and motivated to stay.

"I knew you had it in you!" Kishu grinned from ear to ear.

"Way to go, kid," Nima smiled as she saw her brother revert back to his normal, cheerful self. She glanced towards Midori to see the status of their leader.

"That dork," Midori muttered to herself with a smile creeping up her face and the fire in her eyes returning. She turned towards Nima and gave her a nod, solidifying their decision to attempt the tenth question.

Witnessing the tremendous effect this bold ninja's remarks had upon the testing room, the proctor determined that it was finally time to present the final question. With several confirmation nods from the sentinels, he faced the crowd of glowing genin.

"Well, then, I admire your determination if nothing else," the proctor complimented the spiky blonde haired ninja. "For those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do. And that's for me to tell you…that you've all passed the first exam!" (45)

Nearly every genins' eyes nearly bulged out of their head and their mouths dropped at this news. The clatter of pencils could be heard as several ninja released their writing utensils in shock at this announcement. Even Midori let her green ribbon go slack and fall from her hand and spill onto the floor.

"We passed?!" Midori, Nima, and Kishu uttered in unison as though they could not believe their ears. Each was ready to jump out of their seats and shout for joy when suddenly two girls questioned the purpose of the entire exam as well as the tenth question.

"What's wrong with them?!" Midori thought shooting a glare at the back of the room, recognizing one of the kunoichi as the pink-haired one who bickered with the blonde-haired kunoichi earlier. "They passed, so what are they complaining about?! Just shut up and enjoy it!"

However, the proctor proceeded to answer these kunoichi and described how the questions were meant to test how they reacted under pressure and that cheating was imperative to their success in the exam. He also pointed out that there were two chunin who knew the answers to the exam planted among the genin.

The ninja in the orange jumpsuit crossed his arms behind his head and began to grin.

"Aw come on, I wasn't fooled for a second!" he proclaimed, despite not having a single answer filled out on his paper. "You had to be a complete dufus not to see it! Isn't that right, Hinata?" (46)

"Yeah, right!" Kishu thought, calling Naruto's bluff.

This celebratory mood suddenly turned serious as the proctor discussed the folly of cheating and collecting information clumsily as he removed his Leaf Village bandana, thus, revealing his scarred and battered scalp. Several gasps erupted from the room. The proctor retied the bandana back on his head and continued his lecture regarding the consequences of collecting incorrect information or information from the wrong source. The two kunoichi from before who complained about the purpose of the entire exam continued to ask about the purpose of the tenth question. The proctor stated that these were the types of questions chunin had to ask themselves on their missions. One part of his speech regarding leadership and the expectations of a chunin squad leader, left a lasting impression on Midori as she reflected on her role as leader of her genin team.

"There will be many missions that seem almost suicidal when you think about it," the proctor explained. "But you do not think about it. You think only of the goal. Achieving it through courage and discipline. These are the qualities required of a chunin squad leader. Those who choose the safer of two paths. Those whose determination falters in the face of adversity. Those who would put their comrades lives in jeopardy by worrying about their own. Those who would save their own necks at the price of sacred honor will never be able to call themselves chunin. At least as long as I'm here." (47)

"He's absolutely right," Midori determined, after pinpointing the flaws in her leadership and performance during this portion of the chunin exam. "If we are to survive the rest of this exam, then I cannot afford to be weak. As much as I can't stand them, they look to me for guidance and I refuse to let them down."

As several of the genin in the room absorbed his valuable advice, the proctor began to conclude his speech.

"You all successfully answered the ten questions I put to you," the proctor said. "You have earned the right to continue onto the next step. You have passed through the first gate. I hereby declare this part of the chunin selection exam completed. There's nothing left but to wish you all good luck." (48)

A shout erupted from Naruto at the front of the room and smiles emerged on the faces of every genin in the room. However, those smiles quickly disappeared as a giant brown blur crashed through the window. Two kunai went flying to the right and the left, sticking to the ceiling and lifting up a giant tarp with a message written on it.

The dark grey haired woman Iko spoke with during the meeting of jonin with the Third Hokage, stood before the room of genin.

"Heads up, boys and girls," the woman announced. "This is no time to be celebrating! I'll be your next proctor, Anko Mitarashi! You ready for the second test? Good! Let's go! Follow me!" (49)

As the genin sat in shock and awe, not quite sure how to take this woman, Ibiki peeked from behind the giant tarp.

"You're early, again," the proctor said as Anko's cheeks began to flush red. (50)

She proceeded to criticize Ibiki for allowing so many genin to pass and made a snarky comment that a significant amount would soon be eliminated.

"Alright, you maggots, have had it easy so far, but things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning," she announced. "I'll let your squad leaders know where you'll meet me. Dis~missed." (51)

The remaining genin quickly forgot their previous accomplishment in the testing room and braced themselves for what this strange woman had in store for them tomorrow.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(33) - (51) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	11. Chapter 11: Squad Reunion

**Chapter 11: Squad Reunion**

As the confused, dumbstruck genin exited the testing room and the building, they began to regroup with their teammates in an attempt to comprehend everything that just transpired and ponder about what the next part of the exam would entail. Once outside, Midori, Nima, and Kishu began to search for each other through the crowd. Well, to be more specific, Nima and Kishu began to search for each other. Once they spotted each other in the crowd, they proceeded to rush towards each other with their arms outspread and caught each other in a tight embrace as though they had not seen each other for ages.

"Really?" Midori grumbled as she trudged towards her affectionate teammates after she distinguished their bright red hair over the heads of the other genin. "Geez, it was only an hour for pete's sake!"

Despite her irritation with her teammate's idiosyncrasies, Midori could not help being secretly relieved that they all managed to pass the first portion of the exam. She determined that enduring her teammate's ridiculous display of affection was certainly a better outcome than what she nervously anticipated back in the testing room. However, her relief soon faded as she recalled the bizarre woman's announcement earlier regarding the second part of the exam.

"If the first part of the exam was this tough, then there's no telling what the second part of the exam will be like," Midori thought nervously as she recalled the fearsome proctor's departing message regarding leadership. "I can't afford to falter like I did in there. How can I expect to be chosen as a chunin if I clam up in the face of danger? No more! From now on, I will remain calm and lead my team properly."

Much like she did prior to the first part of the chunin exams, Midori became so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to notice the trap she was mindlessly walking into as a hand reached out grasping her arm and effortlessly yanking her forward. Before Midori could even react, she found herself in complete darkness as her face was pressed between Kishu's flat chest and Nima's abundant, pillowy melons.

"Midori!" Kishu exclaimed as Midori squirmed between them desperately searching for air. "We did it! We passed! Ain't that right, Nima?!"

"That's right, Kishu!" Nima gushed with tears nearly bursting from her eyes as she tightened her embrace around her beaming brother and the struggling Midori. "We actually did it!"

While these two began to cheer and congratulate each other for a job well done, Midori managed to break free from their grasp and heaved a deep breath of air before falling to the ground. Midori quickly turned to Kishu and Nima with a glare, preparing to explode on them once again for their immature displays in front of all their competitors who were now beginning to depart from the building with their teams. However, just as she was about to release her first barrage of insults, she remembered the vow she had made just moments ago to become a better leader for her squad and caught herself before she could utter a word. Much to Kishu and Nima's surprise, who were bracing themselves for one of Midori's many lectures and outbursts, Midori closed her eyes and took a deep breath before addressing her two teammates.

"Kishu, Nima," Midori started, gritting her teeth and desperately holding herself back from unleashing her wrath upon them for their recent indiscretions. "It's time to get serious. We can't be behaving like this in front of these other teams of genin, especially since we don't know what the remainder of the chunin exam has in store for us."

"Don't worry, Midori," Kishu smiled confidently. "We made it through the first part didn't we? We just need to press on and defeat those who get in our way."

"Yeah, barely," Midori retorted, extremely close to exploding on him for his ignorance. "And that was only the first part. It'll only get even more difficult as we move on and the weak will be weeded out, leaving only the strongest to remain. We can't let overconfidence be our downfall. We need to make smart decisions and work together as a team if we have any hope of becoming chunin."

As Midori finished her speech, Kishu and Nima maintained a serious, brooding disposition and peered around them to see if Hinata or Rock Lee were nearby. However, they had already left with their teammates and there was no one except Midori, Kishu, and Nima on the premises. While she seemed harmless and innocent, Kishu realized Hinata was chosen by her sensei for a reason to participate in the chunin exam and despite her appearance, she could be a threat later on in the competition. Likewise, Nima understood she had to ignore her growing admiration for the green spandex clad ninja, at least for the remainder of the chunin exam, and focus upon her team, so they do not find themselves in a precarious position as they did during the written exam.

While Midori was observing the reactions of her teammates and Kishu and Nima were absorbing the message, they failed to notice an individual sneak up behind Midori until Midori let out a yelp and grasped her neck. Kishu and Nima quickly looked up to see who attacked their teammate. Midori quickly turned around as well to discover the identity of the culprit. However, much to their surprise, they found that the "enemy" was their mentor, Iko-sensei, giggling and holding a melting ice cube in her right hand.

"Iko-sensei!" exclaimed Kishu and Nima in unison, happy to find a familiar face.

"Hey Nima, hey Kishu," began Iko-sensei as she addressed Nima and Kishu and finally looked down at the flustered Midori who face kept flushing a darker shade of red by the second. She smiled and reached her hand towards Midori's cheek and gave it a firm pinch. "And hewo, my widdle Midori-chan!"

Frustrated and embarrassed at having made a huge scene over a simple ice cube pressed to her neck and having insult added to injury with her sensei proceeding to patronize her, Midori quickly forgot all about Ibiki's leadership lecture and her own personal vow to remain calm in all situations. Midori pulled herself away from the grasp Iko-sensei had upon her cheek and placed her hand over her swollen cheek as she began to see red.

"What the heck was that all about Iko-sensei?!" Midori snapped, not able to handle three dunces from her squad at one time. "You don't just sneak up on people and shove a cold ice cube on their neck!"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist," Iko-sensei began with a grin. "You gave such a great pep talk and you looked so serious, that I just had to do it."

"Geez, it's because of you that Kishu and Nima are the way they are," grumbled Midori as she observed her sensei give Kishu and Nima a high five. "They can't take anything seriously."

"Hmm, perhaps you're right," Iko stated placing her right hand underneath her chin and her left hand propping up her elbow as though she were lost in deep thought while Midori simply glared at her, frustrated that her sensei was mocking her.

"So, sensei, did you just come here to make a fool of me or did you have some important purpose for coming?" Midori snapped, realizing she was just playing into her sensei's hand by getting upset and wanting to hurry home away from these three idiots. Midori felt as though her sensei's presence had completely undermined the serious discussion she had with her teammates and essentially erased her message from their minds, so she simply wanted to go home and rest to prepare herself for another long day with her idiotic, air-headed teammates tomorrow.

"On the contrary, I actually came to congratulate you all on passing the first part of the exam," Iko-sensei said with a grin, as she assumed a more serious tone. "And advise Kishu and Nima that they would be wise to heed your words."

Midori quickly turned to her sensei, surprised that she was actually encouraging Kishu and Nima to listen to what she had to say rather than patronizing her and joking with the twins as she usually did. Iko placed her left hand on her hip and pulled a scroll from her ninja pack. She handed the parcel to Midori who proceeded to remove the string wrapped around the scroll and straighten her glasses, so she could clearly see the contents of the scroll. Kishu and Nima knelt down to the right and left of Midori, curious to read the message.

"Forest of Death?" Midori repeated, a bit intimidated by the daunting name.

"That's right," Iko-sensei responded as her smile slowly faded. "That is the location of the next part of the exam. It is just as deadly and dangerous as it sounds. Many of the genin you just saw leave this building may not survive it."

Midori, Kishu, and Nima gulped as they contemplated this grim realization. Midori's hands shook a bit with the scroll as her fears became reality that this chunin exam would definitely not be a walk in the park.

"But," Iko-sensei began again as her smile resurfaced and she assumed a more nonchalant tone. "That's just what Anko told me."

"Wait, you mean that crazy woman inside?" Midori asked, not terribly surprised that her cracked sensei would know such a twisted woman.

"Aw, did she scawe you?" Iko-sensei responded bent down with her hands on her knees, much to Midori's annoyance. "She does seem to have that effect on people. Well, I must be off and do important jonin work. Good luck and be safe, my little munchkins!"

With that, Iko-sensei made a hand sign and disappeared in a poof of smoke leaving Midori, Nima, and Kishu to absorb everything she said. After a few seconds passed, Nima turned towards Kishu and Midori.

"Guys," Nima started shakily as Midori and Kishu looked at her since she appeared as though she was about to cry at any instant. "I know it sounds bad and everything, but I just wanted to say…you know…whatever happens…I love you guys and I wouldn't want to fight alongside anyone else."

Midori stared at her in shock to hear something so deep escape from her usually carefree partner. Kishu's eyes began to well up with tears and he swiftly placed both his hands on her shoulders.

"I love you too, Nima!" Kishu shouted as tears began to comically fly from his eyes. "You're the best twin ever!"

"Geez, you two," Midori mumbled, but she could not help but smile after witnessing her partner finally taking things more seriously. "Don't count us out yet."

Kishu collected himself and wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve and gave his usual wide grin to Nima and Midori. Regaining some of her confidence, Nima smiled as well and patted her brother on the back. It was quite an unusual sight to see this rather dysfunctional squad of three actually smiling and agreeing with one another.

"Alright, you two cry babies," Midori stated curtly, feeling a bit uncomfortable with this unusual peace and harmony between them. "Go home, get some rest, and be ready for tomorrow."

"Whatever you say team leader," Nima and Kishu responded in unison with a salute.

Midori parted ways with Nima and Kishu. Nima and Kishu chattered on down the cobblestone pathway about how proud their parents would be that they passed the first part of the chunin exam. As Midori walked towards her house, she looked up at the sky, feeling surprisingly confident about her team's fate, something she could not have said hours earlier. The three of them strutted down the street, ready to take on the Forest of Death the next day.


	12. Chapter 12: The Point of No Return

**Chapter 12: The Point of No Return**

Contrary to the dark, fearsome forest they were only a few feet from, it was a rather bright, sunny morning as the sun peered down upon the several teams of genin below. The forest, of course, was the Forest of Death. The sounds of snakes slithering and lone bird calls as well as the tall metal fence surrounding the vicinity added to its foreboding nature. For some of the squads, this atmosphere excited them and appealed to their bloodlust and longing to kill. However, for a fair number of the teams, its presence only incited fear and anxiety. One such team was that of Midori, Kishu, and Nima. Despite their pep talk and progress as a team the day before, their confidence was immediately deflated when the Forest of Death which did not seem as daunting on paper finally appeared before them and the reality of this life and death aspect of the exam became clear.

"Come on, Midori," Midori scolded herself as her knees began to quiver. "It's just a bunch of trees and animals. What's the big deal? You do live in the Village Hidden in the Leaves after all."

Witnessing their team leader a bit anxious about the upcoming task, Kishu and Nima recalled Midori's words from yesterday regarding smart decision making and how they must work together as a team. Despite their ignorance and air-headed tendencies, they knew that they could not let their team leader down after everything she had done for them and her immense courage to take the stressful role as leader of the squad, especially now when the entire squad's fate resisted in her leadership skills. Kishu placed his hand on Midori's shoulder and Midori glanced up, broken from her train of thought.

"Don't sweat it, Midori," Kishu grinned. "We got your back. Right, Nima?"

"Huh?" Nima responded as she was focusing at the tops of the trees. "Oh, yeah. You can depend on us, Midori."

"Would you two quit that!" Midori snapped, glancing from side to side, hoping that the other genin teams did not witness this display and consider her a weak and easy target for whatever the exam had in store. "I'm perfectly fine! It's you two I'm more worried about. The two of you on your own is a disaster."

As Midori began to brood and found herself in a rather tense, grumpy mood before the second part of the exam commenced, she noticed a familiar voice towards the front of the crowd. The voice belonged to Naruto and it appeared he was being his normal, loud, abrasive self as he made a spectacle of himself over something the proctor, Anko Mitarashi had said.

"Geez, take a chill pill," Midori thought, as she saw the other groups of genin turn their attention to him, considering him a potential target.

Before Midori could gripe any further about this idiotic ninja in the orange jumpsuit, a kunai whizzed through the air and landed in the grass right in front of her. Midori, Kishu, and Nima released a gasp as Midori took a step back from the weapon.

"What happened?! What's going on?!" Midori panicked as she peered to the front, struggling to see passed the ninja squad in front of her with large straw hats and large, distinct purple ribbons ties around their waists. "Has the second part of the exam started already?!"

However, as Midori prepared to whip out a ribbon from her ninja pack, her tall, towering teammates who witnessed the entire scene began to speak.

"Wow, that Naruto guy really pissed her off," Kishu stated as he watched the scene play out in front of him.

"Yeah," Nima responded weakly.

"Who's pissed off?" Midori asked with her hand frozen over her ninja pack, still scanning the area for any attacking genin.

"The proctor lady," Kishu answered as he began to relay the scene to his short teammate. "Apparently, Naruto said something smart alecky and she threw a kunai at him and popped up behind him. She's talking to him now, but I can't make out what they're saying."

"What an idiot, getting everyone riled up that like that over stupidity," Midori mumbled under her breath, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down. However, just as she finally reached her normal heart rate, her heart once again started to beat away madly after Midori opened her eyes and found that the kunai that was thrown only moments before was not longer jutting from the ground in front of her.

"Where did it go? It was just there a second ago," Midori said, cursing herself for allowing an enemy ninja to get that close to the squad without her knowledge. "Kishu, Nima, did you guys grab that kunai?"

As Midori peered over through her right and left shoulder, waiting for a response, she realized that Kishu and Nima had not heard her and were focusing their attention to the front of the group. Midori turned her attention to the front as well, despite knowing it was pointless since she could not see passed the ninja squad in front of her in the first place. However, much to her surprise, she found she could see the scene Kishu described with Anko Mitarashi and Naruto quite clearly. An opening formed between the Grass Village ninja to the right and left after the straight, black-haired Grass ninja in the center stepped forward and approached Anko Mitarashi and Naruto. As the ninja began to approach the duo, Midori glanced to the ninja's side and had to quickly wipe her glasses to ensure that her mind was not playing tricks on her.

"Is that what I think it it?" Midori started, as she continued to stare at the ninja's side. "There's the kunai, but…is that a tongue? No, it couldn't be. Could it?"

The Grass Village ninja stopped right behind the proctor who had now whipped out another kunai, preparing to attack, and lifted his long, slippery, pink tongue holding the kunai, up close to the proctor's face. A tense exchange of intimidating, threatening words occurred as Anko Mitarashi retrieved the kunai from the Grass Village ninja's tongue and the Grass Village ninja returned to his squad. As this disturbing ninja began walking back towards his squad, he gazed out from under his large, straw hat and made brief eye contact with Midori who found herself transfixed on those eyes that now resembled those of a snake and froze to the spot in fear. The Grass Village ninja licked his lips as he reassumed his center position in his three man squad and turned his head to once again face the front. Once the Grass Village ninja broke his gaze with her, Midori took a deep breath, feeling as though she were about to faint.

"That group is definitely trouble," Midori thought as she stared with wide eyes to her feet at the ground. "We'll need to steer clear of them at all costs."

As the proctor reassumed her position facing all the squads of genin, Anko Mitarashi began to speak again.

"Now before we begin this test," she announced, pulling a stack of papers from her long, beige trench coat. "I have something to hand out to you all. It's just a standard consent form. Before the test, all of you are going to have to read over this form and then sign it." (52)

At hearing Anko Mitarashi mention a consent form, Midori's stomach lurched. Midori's family owned a desert or pastry shop in Konoha, so she had overheard her parents discussing business with other local restaurateurs around the village. At times, the term, "consent form," was brought up in the conversation when mentioning a spicy pepper that could burn through the lining of one's esophagus or a cheesy challenge that could completely block one's arteries. Injury or death. It was likely one or both of these reasons for a consent form to be utilized during the chunin exam. Given the bloodthirsty nature of some of the contestants, Midori doubted that these ninja would simply leave their prey wounded or injured without finishing the job.

As if verifying her fears, Naruto asked why they were necessary and the proctor nonchalantly responded that some ninja may never leave the Forest of Death alive and she did not want to be held responsible for that. While Anko proceeded to explain the details of this portion of the exam, the consent forms began to circulate around the group starting with Naruto and going from ninja to ninja. The stack came to Team 8 composed of Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. Shino received the stack first, grabbed his paper, and passed the stack to the left to his teammate, Kiba. Likewise, Kiba Inuzuka grabbed his paper and passed it to their final member Hinata Hyuga. Once she grabbed her paper, Hinata Hyuga nervously glanced to the left of her, hoping she did not have to hand the papers over to anyone too menacing. Thankfully, she recognized the tall, curly red-headed ninja as the kind boy who picked up her pencil during the written part of the chunin exam. While she felt relieved at passing the stack to this shinobi as opposed to one like the Grass Village ninja, Hinata still remained rather nervous and shy and simply reached out her hand containing the papers towards the ninja without saying a word or looking in his direction. However, after a few seconds and the papers still in her hand, Hinata once again glanced at the ninja who she found completely immersed in the proctor's lecture and failed to notice her outstretched hand. She hesitantly took a step closer to him and cleared her throat.

"Um, e-excuse me?" Hinata stuttered, anxiously waiting for this freckled ninja to turn around and grab the papers. Despite her attempt, the ninja still failed to recognize that she was passing him the papers due to her soft tone. As she was about to try and get his attention again, her teammate to her right abruptly spoke up.

"Hey, buddy!" Kiba shouted which made Hinata suddenly jump and drop all the consent forms. "Didn't you see this girl trying to hand you these consent forms?!"

Kishu finally turned around and looked down to discover the girl the irritated ninja with a white dog jutting from his jacket was referring to. He immediately recognized the raven-haired, white-eyed, blushing kunoichi fumbling around the ground, scrambling to pick up all the scattered papers as Hinata, the beautiful ninja he sat next to during the written part of the chunin exams. Embarrassed that he had ignored her and failed to notice her presence before, Kishu immediately knelt down and swiftly scooped up all the papers.

"I-I'm s-s-so sorry," Hinata stumbled, close to tears. "I-I didn't speak up. I'm sorry."

"No, don't even worry about!" Kishu assured her, blushing madly as he gently placed his hand on her quivering shoulders. "I should've been paying attention. My bad."

Comforted by this ninja's words, Hinata gave him a weak smile and began to rise from her knees. However, before she could return to her group, she felt him grasp her hand. She quickly turned towards the red-headed ninja, hoping she had not misread him as gentlemanly, sweet ninja if he was actually a conniving, devious villain.

"Uh…," Kishu started with his heart pounding, not wanting to miss this chance. "W-We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Kishu."

"O-oh, I'm Hinata Hyuga," she responded, relieved that an introduction was his only intentions as they engaged in a rather awkward handshake. "N-Nice to meet you."

Kishu released her hand and they each returned to their own teams.

"Geez, Hinata, you've got to be more aggressive with people, especially for this second part of the exam, or they'll walk all over you." Kiba whispered to Hinata.

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized, seeming to hide in her jacket, reflecting on her error.

Daydreaming over actually making contact with Hinata's lovely, fair, delicate hands and expanding their duration of interaction by a few more seconds, Kishu accidently overlooked Midori and reached right over her head to hand the papers to Nima. Midori quickly intervened and snatched up the papers, glaring at Kishu the entire time.

"Didn't see me there is that it?!" Midori snapped as she quickly took her paper and shoved the rest towards Nima. "Don't even start with me, Kishu!"

"Ah, sorry, Midori," Kishu laughed, patting her head, much to Midori's chagrin.

Ignoring her teammates bickering, Nima obtained her copy of the consent form and turned to give the next ninja squad the stack when she suddenly froze. Nima had not noticed that the brave ninja in green-spandex, Rock Lee, and his squad were only a few steps away from her own squad. She clutched the papers close to her heart which seemed to be beating out of her chest and kept her eyes locked on this ninja's intense, striking features staring ahead towards the proctor as her face began to flush red. Nima's fiery admiration over Rock Lee was quickly extinguished as she noticed his teammate with long brown hair and pale, white eyes reach out his hand towards her.

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to give us the consent forms?" he said gruffly with a scowl on his face.

"Gah, I'm sorry, here you are," Nima laughed nervously as she held out the papers.

"Whatever," the irritated ninja mumbled as he began to pass the papers to his other two teammates.

"Wah!" Nima thought to herself as she slinked back to her teammates. "That Rock Lee guy probably thinks I'm a freak! Come on, Nima, get your head in the game!"

Recognizing the awkward red-headed kunoichi as the one who kept stealing glances towards Rock Lee prior to the first part of the chunin exam, the pale-eyed ninja passed the papers onto his brown haired teammate with the panda bear buns and got his fuzzy browed teammate's attention.

"Lee," he whispered.

"Hm?" Rock Lee responded. "What is it, Neji?"

"It's that girl again," Neji stated as he indicated the freckled kunoichi behind him. "She was intently staring at you a moment ago. Be careful around her. We don't know what her intentions are."

"Right," Lee agreed as he glanced at her reading through the consent form. He could not detect any sort of malice emitting from her, but in this life and death situation, a ninja could not trust anyone except their own two teammates. Despite itching to get to the bottom of the feather mystery, Rock Lee knew that it was best not to make enemies for himself or his team, especially since they were close to entering the Forest of Death.

"Perhaps, if our paths cross again after the Forest of Death," Rock Lee thought, once again, delaying their confrontation. "I will approach her about the feather."

While Nima and Kishu were occupied with swooning, Midori was listening intently to the proctor and absorbed all the information she provided, despite her argument with Kishu.

"Ok, so we are given a scroll before everyone's let loose," Midori started, examining the dynamics of this portion of the exam. "Depending on which scroll we receive, we will either be after the Heaven or Earth scroll from another team. Once we get the scroll, we head to the locked tower which is ten kilometers away. This must all be done in five days and we are disqualified if we don't make it in the time limit, one of us is incapacitated or dies, or we open the scrolls. Sounds simple enough, but with these two, I can't be too sure."

The proctor directed everyone towards a group of shinobi to exchange their consent forms for a scroll. She informed them to then pick a gate and they would be lead inside after everyone had submitted their consent forms and received a scroll.

"Oh, and I have one more word of advice," Anko began, ready to conclude her lecture and let the genin head over to the booth. "Just don't die!" (52)

With those final, encouraging words, the teams either regrouped to discuss their strategies or split off to read the conditions of the consent form on their own and determine how prepared they truly were for this exam. Midori, Nima, and Kishu decided it would be best to regroup, especially since Kishu and Nima needed to be filled in on the details they missed from the proctor's lecture.

"OK, guys, let's walk," Midori announced, knowing that they were too fidgety to stand in one place and focus on her and wanting to scope out the some of the teams entering to find a potential target. "Alright, so the consent form is pretty simple. Sign it and it's not their fault if we are injured or die. Now tell me what you both understand and I'll fill in the holes."

As they signed their consent forms and Nima and Kishu started throwing several questions her way, Midori proceeded to answer each of the questions, all the while scanning back and forth, hoping to gather some insight into their competitors. They passed by the pink-haired and blonde-haired kunoichis from earlier slinging insult after insult at one another.

"Hmm, those two are rookies," Midori pondered and she recalled the three teams and their members. "That blondies team doesn't seem too much of a threat with that laidback pineapple head and that pudgy kid with the swirls on his face. And I don't know about the mysterious guy in blue, but if pinky has that loud-mouthed, idiotic ninja in the orange jumpsuit in their group, then they can't be all that strong."

As they continued to make their rounds, Kishu spotted Hinata standing alone under a tree reading through the consent form.

"Look how the sun shines upon her, emphasizing her fair features!" Kishu thought, somehow seeing imaginary light despite the fact that she was underneath the shade of the leaves. His fantasies about this innocent girl were interrupted once he witnessed Naruto slowly approach the kunoichi.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" Naruto called, waving his hand in the air. Kishu witnessed the kunoichi's face transition from pink to red as Naruto narrowed the gap between them. He witnessed her pull out a small brown object from her ninja pack and offer it to him with her hands outstretched. However, Naruto waved and continued walking passed her without acknowledging the gift. (53)

"What?!" Kishu cursed, gritting his teeth with a balled up fist raised. "How dare he blatantly reject that sweet angel?! Grrr, I'll teach him a lesson!"

As he plotted his revenge against Naruto for his indiscretions against the dear Hinata, Kishu felt a hand aggressively tug his sleeve. Kishu turned around to find his sister staring at him with a confused expression and Midori, glaring at him with her arms crossed. Kishu realized that he had physically stopped to witness this scene between Naruto and Hinata without knowing.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Midori snapped. "Nima and I have been calling your name for the past few seconds and you've just been ignoring us! What's the hold up?"

"Ah, my bad," Kishu smiled scratching the back of his head and regrouping with his team. Midori glanced over his shoulder to see who Kishu was shotting a menacing look towards. Having missed the entire scene between Naruto and Hinata, it appeared to Midori that Kishu was glaring at Hinata.

"What's Kishu's problem with that girl?" Midori thought, confused as to why the air-headed, carefree Kishu would hold such hatred towards a kunoichi innocently standing under a tree. "Regardless, that girl is also one of the rookies, so she is also a potential target. Perhaps, I can use Kishu's anger to our advantage."

After concluding their discussion, Midori, Kishu, and Nima signed their consent forms and headed for the booth. Once inside, a jonin proceeded to draw a curtain between them and the other teams of genin.

"Wow, they're really confidential about this scroll deal," Midori remarked as the jonin at the table collected their consent forms and handed Midori a white Heaven scroll. She held it in her hand a few moments before giving it to Kishu.

"Wait, you want me to hold onto the scroll?" Kishu asked, shocked that Midori was entrusting him with such a valuable article for his safe keeping.

"Yes…," Midori hesitated, contemplating whether designating Kishu as the holder of the scrolls was truly a good plan or if she was simple crazy. "…I would hold them, but my ninja pack would become overcrowded and I wouldn't have easy access to my ribbons which would not be good if an enemy were to approach me. Nima is fairly strong and possesses a bit more sense than you, so I considered giving it to her, but I think enemies will be less likely to target a male ninja than they would a kunoichi. They want to go after those they think are weak to easily obtain these scrolls rather than compete with a strong enemy and tire themselves out which would leave them at risk of an attack from an enemy. Thereofore, the scroll goes to you."

"Wow, awesome!" Kishu gushed, staring at the scroll as if it were gold.

"Hey, don't get too excited," Midori snapped as she grabbed Kishu and pulled him down to her level by his shirt collar. "This is not a toy and I don't expect you to take it out for any reason whatsoever until we get to the tower. And so help me, if you lose it, the other teams won't be the biggest thing to have to worry about out there. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kishu saluted as he stuffed the scroll in his ninja pack and made sure it snapped shut. "Everything is all secure."

"Alright," Midori nodded, desperately hoping she made the right decision. "We're off then!"

She turned to face the jonin at the curtain who had his back to her, trying to stifle his laughter after seeing, such a childish kunoichi give directions to her towering, red-headed teammates. He opened the curtain and allowed them to depart.

After a few more teams entered the booth, submitted their consent forms, and collected their Heaven or Earth scroll, the jonin drawing and opening the curtains peeked out and with a nod signaled Anko Mitarashi that the final squad had received their scroll and the second part of the chunin exam could commence. The proctor nodded to the shinobi and instructed the squads to find their designated gate and remain there until they are opened by one of the shinobi present.

Midori, Nima, and Kishu were lead to gate twenty-four who stood in front of the gate, waiting for Anko Mitarashi's signal to remove the locks shackled to it. Midori gulped as she glanced at the dilapidated, aging sign with the twenty-four in dull red letters.

"This is it," Midori thought. "There's no turning back now."

Behind her, Nima and Kishu gave each other a high five with wide, flashy grins on their faces.

"We got this, right, Nima?" Kishu announced confidently, turning to his sister.

"Yeah!" Nima responded, wanting to keep their spirits up.

"Idiots," Midori mumbled to herself, not exactly keeping the optimistic momentum going.

After a few seconds, Anko Mitarashi made an announcement for all the genin.

"Alright, heads up you maggots!" Anko shouted. "The second part of the test had begun!" (54)

Just as she ended her announcement, all forty gates flew open and all of the three man squads immediately disappeared into the dark depths of the Forest of Death. Who would survive the terrors in this forest and who would find this dismal place to be their grave?

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(52) - (54) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	13. Chapter 13: Jackpot

**Chapter 13: Jackpot**

Snakes hissed and birds chirped as countless genin lunged into the forest, desperately trying to locate a rather feeble team they could steal a scroll from. Some stopped to strategize while others frantically threw themselves into the forest, hoping to run across a squad. Midori, Nima, and Kishu seemed to be split between these two approaches. Being the calculated, cautious team leader, Midori wished to take the first approach and stop to strategize which team they were going after. However, her red-headed teammates did not seem to agree as they bounded farther and farther ahead of her from the branches with ridiculous grins on their faces, rushing aimlessly into the forest. Much like the stairs incident prior to the written portion of the chunin exam, Midori's stunted legs prevented her from easily catching up with her swift, long-legged companions and she remained about three branches behind them.

"This is so not a good way to begin this test," Midori griped, as she tried desperately to will her legs to keep up with her teammates. "At this rate, they'll mindlessly run into a trap and it'll be chaos!"

Seeing that trying to catch up with them was useless, Midori called their names and asked them to stop. However, Kishu and Nima had so much adrenaline pumping that they did not notice their teammate following them from behind. Irritated at being blatantly ignored, Midori hatched another plan to halt her teammates.

"There's no reasoning with them," Midori grumbled as she snapped open her ninja pack. "I guess I'll just have to use force."

Midori reached into her pack and strategically pulled out two reams of green ribbon, so as not to alert those nearby with a bright color. She halted on one branch, closed her eyes, and reached both her hands out, as her teammates gradually became two red dots in the distance. Without warning, the two green ribbons in each of her hand darted forward successfully evading all the branches, leaves, and other obstacles in her way. Finally, the ribbon trail latched onto Kishu and Nima's ankles in mid-jump.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Midori smiled as she proceeded to pull her ribbons forward. "Now just gotta pull…oh no…"

While Midori may have successfully grabbed onto Kishu and Nima, she had not anticipated their combined weight and instead of pulling them back to her, she was yanked forward as Nima and Kishu fell. Midori managed to hurdle over about four branches, but crashed into three as she careened to the ground below on top of her teammates to her teammates. All three laid there for a moment with large swirls in their eyes and tangled in green ribbon, until Midori recovered first since her teammates acted as a cushion to her fall.

"You idiots!" Midori snapped as she straightened her glasses and bows and picked the twigs and dirt from her hair and face and coiled up her green ribbons. "We cannot function like this for the next five days!"

"W-Why didn't you just tell us to stop and catch up, Midori?" Kishu asked, rubbing his sore back and ensuring Nima was alright.

"I did!" Midori retorted, frustrated that her teammates were trying to blame this whole fiasco on her. "But y'all just kept going!"

"Sorry, Midori," Kishu and Nima apologized in unison as they sat around in a tiny circle.

"Geez," Midori griped, having heard this all before. "OK, guys, we need to discuss our strategy, so we're not mindlessly jumping through the forest and being marked by other enemy teams. We need some sort of plan and direction."

"Right," Kishu and Nima agreed as they nodded their heads with their legs tucked under their bottom and their hands on their knees.

"Here's what I suggest," Midori began with her finger pointed in the air as though she were about to give a lecture. "I suggest we target one of the three rookie teams. It's their first year out here and they're probably scared to death and won't be able to properly battle out of fear."

"Isn't that a bit cruel?" Kishu interrupted with a worried expression on his face.

"Cruel?!" Midori exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?! Have you seen some of the bloodthirsty ninja out here?! Those guys will rip those genin to shreds. All we're doing is stealing their scrolls. In fact, this will take the target off their back with other genin squads since they would not have a scroll."

"That's true, I guess," Kishu mumbled still not completely comfortable with the idea of targeting the weak.

"Right," Midori continued as she prepared to lay out their options. "Our first option is Naruto's squad. That pink-haired kunoichi seems to have more bark than bite and that Naruto kid's just an idiot, so…"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nima chimed in.

"Well, why not?" Midori snapped, irritated by her two teammates rude interruptions.

"Well," Nima began, not wanting to reveal that she was spying on Rock Lee and Sasuke Uchiha fight prior to their registration. "Their other teammate in blue. His name is Sasuke Uchiha of the Uchiha clan with the Sharingan eyes. Perhaps, it would be best to steer clear of him."

"Good point…Nice catch, Nima" Midori praised her, happy she revealed this important bit of information instead of waiting until they had snuck up behind them to inform her. "So that's one rookie team out. Now what about that team with that timid kunoichi with the pale, white eyes and raven hair. She doesn't seem so…"

"No!" Kishu abruptly shouted, giving Midori and Nima a small fright. "She's off limits!"

"What…What do you mean?!" Midori asked, recovering herself. "Why's she off limits?!"

"S-She just is," Kishu mumbled sheepishly as a small blush emerged on his freckled cheeks.

"Wait, don't tell me…" Midori said, analyzing his strange mannerisms and behavior. "…don't tell me, you're falling for this chick?"

At Midori's insinuations, Kishu's face flushed a scarlet red as Nima's eyes lit up.

"Is that true, Kishu?!" she asked with a grin. "Aw, that's so cute!"

"Alright, that's enough," Midori began, not wanting to waste time dabbling into Kishu's love life when they could be out capturing scrolls. "Whatever. So that's two rookie teams out of the way. Does anyone here have a problem with us nabbing a scroll off of the team with the blonde-haired girl, pineapple head, and the chubby ninja?"

"Nope," Nima responded with a smile.

"I guess not," mumbled Kishu, still a bit guilty over attacking ninja who were not only rookies, but from their own village as well.

"Alright then," Midori grinned, happy they finally agreed upon a team. "Hopefully, they'll have an Earth scroll. Let's…"

However, before she could finish her sentence, Midori, Nima, and Kishu heard a shout nearby that left them stunned.

"That's not fair, why do I have to carry the Earth scroll?!" a female voice shouted.

Seeing a potential opportunity open up right before them, Midori beckoned Nima and Kishu to quietly follow suit behind her as she crawled towards the source of the noise. Once they located the voice, they hid behind a series of bushes to witness the scene before them.

From the bushes, Midori, Nima, and Kishu found that the whiny voice came from a blue-eyed kunoichi with wild, black hair framed around her face in a circular shape. She wore a buttoned up brown vest with a green, ruffled dress bursting out the openings at her shoulders and at the bottom of her vest and brown leggings peeking from under the green ruffles. Midori was able to make out a Grass Village ninja headband dangling from her neck which made her cringe as she recalled the strange Grass Village ninja she made eye contact with earlier.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to come rushing over here," Midori thought to herself, contemplating whether they should retreat and search for their intended target. However, even with these concerns in mind, she could not help but notice that this squad, thus far, did not seem as terrifying or intimidating as the other Grass Village ninja squad they encountered prior to the second part of the chunin exam.

As they continued to observe, the kunoichi stood with her lips pouted and her arms crossed as if she were having a childish tantrum. Her teammate facing her with his fist raised and his glaring bright green eyes on his face added to their nonthreatening impressions. The ninja had bright red-hair fashioned in a Mohawk that seemed to resemble a cockatoo whenever he moved or bobbed his head and matched with his red shirt. He wore a leather vest over his red shirt and a rope dangling from his ninja pack as though he were a cowboy that had just jumped out from a western.

"Just shut up and do as your told!" the cockatoo ninja barked as he took a step towards the kunoichi.

"Excu~se me?!" the kunoichi retorted with one hand resting on her hip and the other waving a finger in front of his face. "You're the one who needs to shut up, you stupid…dummy head!"

"What'd you just say?!" the cowboy ninja responded as he pressed his face right up against the kunoichi's face, who was the same height as him, and they began to glare each other down. Just as Midori was ready to leave, not wanting to listen any further to this pointless bickering when there were other genin they could ambush, a gruff voice suddenly spoke from near a tree.

"Both of you shut up," the mysterious voice hissed, immediately silencing the feisty kunoichi and the cockatoo ninja as they glanced back towards him. Midori, Nima, and Kishu also glanced in their direction to identify the frightening being this voice came from. They observed a rather tall ninja sitting on a nearby rock with his back hunched over, his legs spread, and hands tightly clasped together. His attire was nothing special with only a short-sleeved fish net top and long brown pants. The most distinguishing part of his character was his long, thick brown hair dangling in front of him in a ponytail. He slowly peered up at his teammates and gave both of them deadly stares with his beady brown eyes through his rectangular lens glasses.

"Shanmaru, don't let that woman get under your skin," the mysterious ninja instructed as the cockatoo ninja bowed his head.

"Sorry, Tojo," Shanmaru apologized. The kunoichi formed a smirk on her face, feeling as though this proved that she had claimed victory in that argument. However, her confidence immediately disappeared as she locked eyes with the ninja's icy, beady, brown eyes from the rock.

"And you, Umina," Tojo said, as the kunoichi continually avoided his gaze. "Do as you're told and hold onto the scroll. And while you're at it go fetch us some dinner. It's high time you do something useful for this squad."

"Yeah, that's right!" Shanmaru chimed in, hanging onto the coattails from his bespectacled teammate.

"What a jerk off," Midori thought, as part of her hoped the feisty kunoichi would argue back, much like she did with her cockatoo teammate. "Who does he think he is?!"

Despite desperately wanting to fight back, Umina simply sighed and took the scroll Shanmaru handed to her and disappeared into the forest searching for food. Seeing this as a window of opportunity, Midori indicated for Nima and Kishu to quietly follow this Umina kunoichi. Once she was a significant distance away from her two teammates and occupied herself with collecting berries and other vegetation in the area, Midori turned to her teammates with a large grin on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.

"This is it, guys!" Midori whispered, explaining their course of action. "OK, here's the plan. Nima, you're going to fly up behind her, keeping yourself shrouded by the tree tops, and cause some sort of distraction while she's picking those berries after I give you the signal. Then, I'll sneak up behind her, cover her eyes and stifle her screams with my ribbon and swiftly unsnap her ninja pack and collect the Earth scroll. Finally, I'll quickly tie her up and we will make our escape."

"What will I do, Midori?" Kishu asked, yearning to participate in this elaborate scheme.

"You, Kishu, will cover my back and make sure those two don't sneak up on me," Midori explained as Kishu nodded his head. "You guys, got it?"

Both red-heads nodded and Midori proceeded to signal for the plan to commence. Midori and Kishu crawled on their hands and knees, inching their way towards the bush Umina was nonchalantly plucking berries from. Before she inched any closer, for the risk of alerting Umina of their presence, Midori glanced up at the sky waiting to give Nima the signal. Once she saw a patch of red hair peek out from behind a tree top, Midori flashed her pink ribbon to which Nima responded with a nod and ducked back behind the treetop.

Moments later a fairly aggressive breeze blew towards Umina who quickly turned around only to find green feathers slowly descend to the ground. Midori and Kishu finally made their way behind the bush and Kishu assumed his lookout position behind Midori. Midori quickly whipped out her green ribbon from before and took a deep breath as her hands began to shake.

"Alright, Midori," she told herself and her uncoiled the ribbon. "It's now or never."

As the confused Umina simply stared at this bizarre scene before her, she failed to notice the green ribbon dart from the bushes behind her and completely cover her mouth before she could even utter a word. Umina turned to get a glimpse of her attackers, but before she knew it her world turned to darkness as the ribbon proceeded to wrap around her eyes as well. Her head appeared like a green cabbage as the ribbon continued to wrap itself around her face, leaving only her nose uncovered. As Umina frantically began clawing at her face to try and remove the green ribbon, Midori quickly fed another green ribbon into her ninja pack, searching for the Earth scroll.

"Got it!" Midori whispered as she quickly pulled the scroll back to the bush and gave it to Kishu who quickly placed it in his ninja pack, making sure to snap it shut. Midori jumped out of the bush and threw several coils around Umina's body and proceeded to aggressively pull it when the ribbon had reached her ankles, thus knocking her off her feet. Midori quickly approached her to tie the ribbon in a cute little bow, similar to the one on her head. Umina now transformed from a cabbage to a long, skinny green bean as she kept trying to wiggle around and scream, despite only muffled sounds escaping the fabric.

"Alright, let's go," Midori instructed Kishu and waved above to Nima, her heart racing madly, as they darted away in the forest.

Midori surprisingly lead the way as her freckled teammates simply followed her close behind, waiting for her say when to stop. Midori, herself, did not know when to stop. Her adrenaline was pumping and she simply wanted to get as far away from the location as they could. Midori spotted a large, dead log lying out in the forest and decided that is where they would hide out.

"There," Midori instructed, pointing to the fallen tree trunk, as Nima and Kishu simply followed suit.

Once each of them crawled inside, they all simply leaned against the log which was large enough to fit each of them comfortably and attempted to catch their breath. Midori sat there stunned as sweat dripped down her forehead and her heart beat madly, still not certain whether that series of events really just happened.

"Is this a dream?" Midori thought, uncertain whether her team was truly capable of such a feat. "Did we really just obtain both our scrolls within the first hour of the exam?"

As Nima and Kishu waited patiently for Midori to speak, nervous when she was not barking orders their way, they were surprised to see their normally reserved, grouchy teammate suddenly spring up and wrap both her arms around their necks in a tight embrace.

"I love you guys SO much right now," Midori gushed with a goofy grin on her face as Nima and Kishu reciprocated the hug. However, Midori quickly came to her senses and proceeded to shove her two teammates off of her, frightened at how quickly she sunk to her teammate's carefree, ignorant nature over two scrolls. With a slight blush across her face, she gave a quick cough with her fist in front of her face to clear her throat as if to erase the embarrassing union that had just transpired.

"Um, well, yes," Midori started. "So now that we have the scrolls, we can start heading for the tower. We'll have to be quite careful as we trek through the forest, so as not to run into any other genin that might still be looking for scrolls."

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just flew over them?" Nima asked.

"What?" Midori responded, confused.

"Well," Nima began. "When I was up behind the tree tops, it was very difficult for me to see anything unless I peeked out over an opening in the trees. So, I just figured that it might have been just as hard for you to see me as if was for me to see you guys."

"That's perfect!" Midori gushed, as a surprised Nima blushed and scratched the back of her head. "Oh, this day, just keeps getting better and better! OK, so both of you will be flying and searching for the tower."

"Alright, but what about you, Midori?" Kishu asked.

"I'll be hitching a ride with one of you," Midori stated, contemplating which one she trusted more not to drop her from several feet in the air. "Hmm, Kishu, I'll be hitching a ride with you since it'll be easier for you to carry me and Nima, you will be scouting out the area for the tower and other enemies, got it?"

"Got it," Nima saluted, giddy to have Midori recognize one of her ideas.

"Alright, so now the question is how will Kishu carry me?" Midori pondered. "Obviously, you can't bridal carry me since your hands will be occupied and I'm more likely to fall if I attach my ribbons to your legs or create a swing contraption."

"What about a backpack?" Kishu suggested.

"A backpack?" Midori thought for a moment, deciding that was there best option. "Fine, a backpack it is."

Moments later, the team exited the log and prepared for take off. Midori successfully wrapped her pink ribbon around Kishu's body to hold her in place on his back and ensured that was properly secured and would not plummet to the ground.

"Alright, I'm ready," Midori said. "Work your magic guys."

"Right," Nima and Kishu stated in harmony as they proceeded to make a few quick hand signs and stretched their arms out in from of them. Immediately, green feathers, like those hanging from their ears, began to slowly emerge from their arms until their appendages were completely covered. In only a few seconds their human arms seemed to turn into those of a bird.

"Here we go," Kishu said, as he placed his hands above him. "Ready, Midori?"

"Ready, "Midori responded as she held onto the small harness she had made for herself.

"Alright, here we go," Kishu said and Nima and he jumped in the air and began to flap their wings. They quickly began to make their way through the branches towards an opening in the treetops.

"Perhaps, I've underestimated them," Midori smiled as she reflected on her teammates involvement in obtaining the scrolls and their idea to fly above the treetops. "Maybe they're more dependable that I thought."

However, it appeared that Midori spoke too soon as she, Kishu, and Nima failed to notice a crooked branch snag Kishu's ninja pack just as they broke free from the treetops and detach from Kishu's side. Holding his kunai, shuriken, and most importantly, the Heaven and Earth scrolls.


	14. Chapter 14: So Close But Yet So Far

**Chapter 14: So Close But Yet So Far**

Since Midori, Nima, and Kishu could easily view the terrain of the Forest of Death from their high vantage point, they easily spotted the tower poking through the surrounding trees. While this view was normal for Nima and Kishu since they trained up in the skies, Midori found it rather remarkable and observed as the sun rays hit the trees, illuminating the true beauty of nature. She, also, noted how much brighter it was above the forest than within, since the trees and branches hindered the light from reaching the forest floor.

"Man, I wish we had thought of this sooner," Midori thought, reflecting on how nervous wracking and oppressing it was within the dark, shady forest, as Kishu's red locks waved in the air to the right and left of her face and her two aquamarine braids danced in the wind. "What a little change of scenery can do to one's mindset."

"We're almost there," Kishu alerted her as he let up on his flapping to gently glide down and land at one of the doors at the tower. Midori watched as the scenery transitioned from the treetops to the tree trunks and finally to the dirt as Kishu began to fall slowly to the ground. Kishu and Nima's wings disappeared and Midori unleashed herself from her harness and coiled up her pink ribbons back into her ninja pack.

She jumped down from Kishu's back and Kishu, Nima, and Midori stood staring at the tower before them. None of them could believe they had actually managed to reach this point, let along collect their scrolls within an hour or two of the exam on the first day. Immersed in the moment, Midori decided to give a heartfelt announcement as the team leader.

"Nima, Kishu," Midori started in a rather soft tone. "Listen, I know we may not have always seen eye to eye on everything. In fact, I've been cursing the day since we were placed in the same squad. However, today…after seeing everything you all have done today and how we were able to come together as a team…I have never been more proud to be your teammate."

Nima and Kishu stood in silence for a few moments, shocked to hear such genuine praise coming from their usually snappy, strict team leader. However, a smile soon broke onto each of their faces.

"I feel that same way," Kishu responded as he placed a hand on Midori's shoulder.

"Yeah, me too," Nima agreed, as she wiped a small tear from her eye.

Had anyone witnessed this squad prior to the chunin exam, they would have been greatly surprised to see such warmth and respect surrounding these three and the strong unity each of them expressed.

"Well, I guess there's nothing left to do, but get the scrolls," Midori stated, still reflecting on her team's success. "Kishu, it's time to take them out."

"Sure thing," Kishu smiled as he reached his other hand to his side for his ninja pack and the moment of truth. However, Kishu's face soon fell as he only felt the fabric of his pants where his ninja pack should have been. Sweat began to pour down his white face as he remembered Midori's threats prior to the start of the second part of the chunin exam.

"Come on, Kishu, quite stalling," Midori joked with him, still staring at the door.

"R-right, sure thing, Midori," Kishu laughed nervously as he began to search for his ninja pack frantically all over his body to no avail. Suspicious as to why Kishu was taking so long to retrieve the scrolls, Midori turned to him, still wearing her sweet smile.

"Kishu," she asked, in a threatening tone that made Kishu turn white as a ghost. "Where're the scrolls?"

Having no other option, Kishu simply turned to her with his bravest smile and his eyes closed.

"I don't know," he responded as cheerfully as he could. Midori struggled to keep her face frozen in a smile as she could feel the blood rush to her head.

"Where's your ninja pack, Kishu?" Midori asked, as her small hands balled up into two fists. Knowing there was no way out, Kishu simply admitted defeat.

"I don't know," he said weakly.

Wrong answer. Kishu and Nima fearfully watched as their formerly innocent, kind teammate's expression contorted into a demonic, enraged face. Suddenly the phrase, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," popped into the twins' minds. Midori's eyebrows descended into a tight frown, her eyes became bloodshot and seemed to send daggers in Kishu's direction, and her lovely smile faded as she grit her teeth so hard, Nima and Kishu feared she would break them. She shut her eyes trying to collect herself. However, it proved to no avail as her fists began shaking and her face grew redder and redder until finally she could not hold back any longer. She turned towards Kishu and sucked in a deep breath.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" she shouted as her voice echoed throughout the Forest of Death and seemed to shake the very Earth beneath them. Midori's face was so red with anger that she truly did look like a demon that had ascended from the depths of Hell to inflict her hatred and wrath on Kishu. Midori stood there trying to catch her breath from that loud outburst waiting for Kishu's response.

"I-I don't know," Kishu stuttered, still trying desperately to search for it. "It was right here before we took off and now it's not there anymore."

Midori simply fell forward onto her knees, banging her head into the dirt. Embarrassed that she had made herself so vulnerable to these idiots, Midori refused to even look at them. Worried for her brother's safety, Nima knelt down next to Midori and patted her on the back.

"It's alright, Midori," Nima said cheerfully, trying to lift her spirits. "At least we figured this out on the first day and not on the fifth. If Kishu had it on before we took off, then we probably just dropped it on our way here. I'm sure if we retrace our steps, then we're sure to find it."

Midori wanted nothing more than to simply crawl in a ball and sulk, but she knew Nima was right and they could not give up. No matter how difficult the situation or how challenging the hardship, the leader could not give up because once the leader falters; those who depend on them suffer. Despite her intense anger and loathing for Kishu, who felt more guilty than anyone for having their leader's hard work be for naught, Midori gradually rose from the ground and brushed herself off. She took a few deep breaths and addressed both Nima and Kishu.

"Alright," Midori began, noticing the sun begin to set and the sky transition from yellow to orange to red and finally to a purple. "It's getting late so it will only make it harder for us to locate the ninja pack in the dark. Therefore, let's find some shelter and start searching tomorrow bright and early."

"Sounds good," Nima and Kishu agreed.

Midori straightened her glasses and peered out at their surroundings for a potential hideout. Nearby she saw a battle-torn area with fallen trees and other such debris lying around. The trees seemed to provide enough cover and she figured they would all take shifts throughout the night to alert the others if an enemy was near.

"We'll set up over there," Midori stated as she pointed toward the area. Nima and Kishu immediately nodded in agreement, relieved to see Midori once again taking the reins and reverted back to her old self. The team made their way over there and quickly set up the area before they were completely shrouded in darkness. They managed to tie down a few bushes over themselves, so two people could be easily concealed while they slept and the lookout was concealed by a fallen tree.

"Ok, now that that's done," Midori said as she wiped the sweat off her forehead and tied the last of her green ribbons to the bushes, wanting nothing more but to sleep. "So how's the schedule for the lookout working?"

"Don't worry about it, Midori," Nima answered cheerfully ushering her under the bush. "Kishu and I will take care of the lookout. We want you to be well rested for tomorrow."

"No, I can't let you guys do that," Midori said, surprised by the active role her usually air-headed teammates were taking.

"She's right, Midori," Kishu stated, still wary about addressing Midori after his terrible blunder. "You deserve after your hard work today. You've been taking care of us this whole time, so now its time for us to take care of you."

Nima and Kishu gave Midori bright, confidence smiles as she stared out dumbfounded.

"Thank you, guys," Midori mumbled warmly, touched by her teammates actions. She laid her head back on her ninja pack, placed her glasses at her side and slowly drifted off to sleep, hoping this was only a small bump in the grand scheme of the chunin exam.


	15. Chapter 15: Uninvited Visitors

**Chapter 15: Uninvited Visitors**

The normally somber, deserted Forest of Death was now infested with teams of genin frantically jumping from tree to tree, searching for a weak opponent to ambush and steal their scroll. Unbeknownst to the proctor, Anko Mitarashi, the shinobi at the gates, and the genin strewn throughout the forest, there was a deadly assassin in their midst far strong than any genin, chunin, and even some jonin. This same, mysterious woman who had observed Kakashi Hatake and his group of genin form the shadows, or in that case, mist, defeat the notorious Zabuza Momochi and his lackey, Haku, only weeks ago was sitting and leaning against the trunk of a tree peering down at the genin and their battles below. She sat with her legs outstretched in front of her on the thick branch and her hands tucked behind her head, appearing as though she were about to catch a few Z's. Cupping her hand over her mouth, this woman let out a deep yawn, obviously bored with the show below her.

"How disappointing," she pouted as she lazily returned her hand behind her head. "They gave up their scroll so quickly. I was hoping for a little bloodshed, like back in the good old days. That's precisely why I came during the chunin exams."

Since the puny genin below failed to excite her and get her blood pumping, the woman clad in fur simply shut her eyes and listened to the leaves rustle and the creatures of the forest howl and moan. She heaved a deep sigh of boredom.

"That Orochimaru," she cursed under her breath. "I finally located that Uchiha brat and his squad like he wanted me to and he's not even on time. But…I guess that's what I get for trusting a snake."

After uttering that last phrase, a smile emerged on her lips as she opened her eyes to find a grinning long, black-haired Grass Village ninja with their lanky tongue outstretched just about to lick her nose hanging upside down from the branch above her. The woman swiftly grabbed for the wet tongue, but the ninja proceeded to leap out off the branch above and evade the woman's grasp. This Grass Village ninja and the woman stood on the branch facing each other.

"Well, that's a different look for you, Orochimaru," the woman chuckled, knowing the secret behind the technique. "So, is that why you're late? Playing genin trying to get into the chunin exam?"

"Alas, it's true my dear Koori," Orochimaru responded with an eerie smile on his face and his tongue still outstretched. "I just had to see my lovely student, Anko. My how she has grown."

"Little Anko-chan, is now a big scary chunin exam proctor," Koori mused, continuing with the comical, sentimental exchange. "Seems to be doing well with that there curse mark you put on her neck. The little one who proved the one in ten theory."

"Enough about me," Orochimaru grinned, licking his lips. "Did you get a chance to see your younger sister?"

"Well, if I knew I would have had so much time to spare, I would have paid her a little visit," Koori responded with a pout. "But more importantly, don't' you want to know where these ninja you seek are?"

"Oh, yes I would," Orochimaru uttered, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Very good," Koori smiled and pointed her finger in a leftward direction. "The squad you seek are about a mile up that way. Nothing too significant has transpired, they left out of gate twelve and entered into the forest. They did not get very far when they stopped to let the ninja in the orange jumpsuit relieve himself. A lone Rain Village genin lurking in the trees caught the ninja and tied him down with a rope. Using a transformation jutsu, he copied the appearance of that ninja and approached his two teammates. That Sasuke Uchiha kid immediately saw through the illusion since the Rain Village genin since he failed to copy the scar he received prior to entering the Forest of Death. The Rain Village ninja broke his transformation technique and attacked. Sasuke Uchiha managed to defeat him and he slinked off into the night. Last I saw, they were gathered in a cute little circle developing a strategy as Sasuke Uchiha conjured up a question and answer game for them to remember in order to verify their identities. Would you like to know how to play?"

"I would indeed," Orochimaru responded.

"Well, the person you are approaching will ask you, 'When does a ninja strike?'" Koori began. "Then, you answer that person with the phrase, 'A ninja waits until the time is right. When the enemy sleeps and drops his guard, when his weapons lie forgotten in the stillness of the night. That is the moment for a ninja to strike.'" (55)

"Oh, Koori, your information gathering is as flawless as ever," Orochimaru complimented.

"Why thank you," Koori responded, sticking her nose in the air. "I do pride myself on those abilities. What with me being an informant and all."

"Very true," Orochimaru agreed, making a set of hand signs which concluded with his two teammates from before at his side in a poof of smoke. "Care to accompany me as I toy with these ninja?"

"I would love to," Koori answered menacingly. "I hope they're a bit more stimulating that what I've seen thus far."

Orochimaru and Koori quickly approached the spot where Sasuke Uchiha and his squad were located. Koori continued to hide in the shadows while Orochimaru conjured up another set of hand signs which sent a strong gust of deadly wind that left a large crater in the midst. After the dust in the air cleared, Orochimaru instructed his two shadow clone lackeys to fan out into forest. However, unbeknownst to Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno who were hiding nearby, these two ninja immediately dispersed into thin air once they disappeared behind the cover of the trees. With the Naruto Uzumaki blown away by the wind, Orochimaru took this opportunity to transform into the bumbling brat and approach the group with the exact phrase Koori had relayed to him. Despite correctly answering the question word for word, he received a punch from Sasuke Uchiha who once again, saw through another disguise of Naruto since he knew the real Naruto would never memorize such a complicated phrase.

"Hm, this Naruto kid is certainly pretty interesting for an idiot," Koori mused as she peered through the bushes. "But when will you show us your true form? Nine Tailed Fox."

Having been exposed, Orochimaru revealed his "true" form as the Grass Village ninja from before. Koori chuckled as she watched the great Sasuke Uchiha and his pink-haired teammate's descend into sheer terror as Orochimaru cast an illusion on them in which they witness their own deaths. She watched them quiver on their knees as tears rapidly poured from Sakura's eyes. Orochimaru reared up to throw two death blows to these paralyzed ninja with two kunai and she wondered whether they would move or simply allow themselves to be killed.

"The girl is an absolute wreck, so she's virtually useless," Koori predicted as she analyzed the skill level of the two genin. "But that Uchiha kid may have some hope. For Orochimaru to return to the village, just to meet with him, he must obviously possess some sort of power."

Just as she predicted, Sasuke Uchiha broke the illusion by stabbing himself in the leg with his own kunai and grabbing Sakura, barely evading the oncoming kunai. Koori watched with a smile on her face as Sasuke scrambled through the trees with his lifeless teammate and they proceeded to battle against one of Orochimaru's snakes. Just as Orochimaru prepared to attack and slithered across the branch, an on slot of kunai and shuriken block his path.

Orochimaru and Koori turned to identify the owner of the assorted weapons and found it to be Naruto who had been blown away by the wind. He was now peering down upon them with a confident grin and his arms crossed.

"Hmph, well he certainly has gusto," Koori noted. "But how far will that get him?"

Before Koori could test her question, Sasuke halted him from taking action by removing the Heaven scroll he had been carrying and offering it to Orochimaru in exchange for their safety. Despite Naruto's protests, Sasuke tossed the scroll toward Orochimaru, signifying their squad's defeat.

"Ah, well," Koori sighed as she closed her eyes. "I guess that's the end of my fun."

However, just as she was about to stand and leap out of the forest, she caught a glimpse of a ball of orange dart from the branch he was standing on towards the group. She turned around quickly and saw him grab the scroll in midair and slug Sasuke Uchiha in the face, sending him back a few branches.

"Oh?" Koori said with a devious grin. "I guess this kid just brought the party back."

She reassumed her position as Naruto scolded Sasuke for his weakness and proceeded to attack Orochimaru. However, his attacks proved futile as Orochimaru tossed him around the forest. The squads defeat seemed decided, until suddenly, Naruto's eye glowed red and Orochimaru and Koori could feel a fiery chakra emitting from the ninja.

"Yes," Koori said with her eyes wide open and a huge grin on her face. "Draw on the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, young Naruto. Feel its power."

Naruto continued to battle with Orochimaru until Orochimaru finally caught Naruto in midair and lifted his shirt to examine his stomach, thus, exposing the seal which keeps the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed. Koori observed Orochimaru's fingers slowly burn with purple fire.

"Ah, the Five Pronged Seal," Koori noted as her smile began to fade. "I guess we won't see the fox again for a long while. What a shame."

As Naruto fell, something emerged deep within Sasuke Uchiha as he finally revealed his clan's legacy, the Sharingan eyes.

"Oh my," Koori said as her smile reemerged. "I guess when one door closes another one opens. I suppose it's to be expected of Itachi's younger brother. The lone survivor of the Uchiha massacre."

She watched Sasuke valiantly fight against Orochimaru and even revealing a new fiery jutsu he created which engulfed Orochimaru. Sasuke Uchiha was ready to admit victory when the Orochimaru pulled forward from the trap Sasuke had set and revealed his true face from the melting mask of the Grass Village ninja. Sasuke stood in shock, not knowing how to take this turn of events. Taking advantage of Sasuke's shock, Orochimaru lurched his head forward as he neck appeared to turn to rubber and sunk his pointed teeth into Sasuke's neck. After a few moments, Orochimaru released and returned his neck to normal as a black mark appeared on Sasuke's neck at the area Orochimaru bite.

"The Curse Mark," Koori uttered as her heart beat madly out of her chest. "When you throw that into the mix, there's no telling what will happen. I hope the kid survives once again to show off that terrible power."

Sakura who had assumed a rather damsel in distress role since the beginning of the fight jumped forward to help Sasuke as Orochimaru revealed his name and burned their scroll before disappearing into the night.

"I knew it was a good idea to come back to this village," Koori said as her lips curled into a smile. "So many interesting characters."

She waited in the bushes, hoping something would transpire with Naruto and his Nine-Tailed Fox demon or Sasuke and his Curse Mark. However, as she sat for a while, the only action that occurred was Sakura whimpering and crying over her fallen teammates.

"What a weak child, it's a wonder why she even thought to partake in this exam," Koori laughed. "Ah well, I guess I got more than I anticipated, so I should be happy with that."

Koori rose and darted off in the direction of Orochimaru, leaving Sakura to collect the pieces of the battle. As she leapt through the trees, she caught Anko out of the corner of her eye, kneeling on a branch and clutching her neck in pain.

"I guess she ran into Orochimaru," Koori concluded. "What a cruel man."

As Anko painfully tried to stand, she heard the sound of heels stepping on the branches ahead. She glanced forward, expecting to see another genin, but was shocked to find Koori gliding through the trees. Koori made eye contact with Anko in mid-air and a smile emerged on her lips.

"Hey, little Anko-chan," Koori called as Anko's blood ran cold. "Tell my sister I said, 'Hi!'"

With that, Koori disappeared from sight as Anko was left to comprehend that not only her villainous sensei, Orochimaru, was present in the village, but the notorious Koori as well.

Footnotes/Disclaimers:

(55) Quote from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	16. Chapter 16: The Verdict

**Chapter 16: The Verdict**

Unbeknownst to Midori, Kishu, and Nima, who were below on the forest floor preparing for the night, their sensei, Iko, was right above them, jumping through the trees accompanied by two ninjas with animalistic white masks. Given their advanced abilities, they easily managed to swiftly travel through the Forest of Death without alerting any genin below. As she leapt from branch to branch, keeping pace with the two men at her side, Iko wore a stern expression, unusual for her rather perky aurora.

"For Anko to request two Anbu Black Ops," Iko thought as she glanced to the left and right of her. "And call for me as well, it must be something quite urgent."

Finally, the three made it to their destination, the tower. They spotted Anko Mitarashi standing on the roof beckoning them inside through a window. Once inside, Iko and the two Anbu Black Ops found themselves in a small room accompanied by a small television and a blue-green couch. Anko quickly took a seat on the couch, still drained from her encounter with Orochimaru, as Iko and the two Anbu Black Ops watched her intently. Iko observed her friend clasp her hands tightly together, clearly something weighing on her mind.

"Well, Anko, I wasn't expecting such a late night rendezvous," Iko smiled, trying to lighten the mood. "I feel like a mistress coming to meet her lover."

"I wish this meeting was that light-hearted, Iko," Anko responded weakly, as she cleared her throat to speak again. "No, the reason you are all here is to inform you that both internationally renowned Leaf Village criminals, Orochimaru and Koori, have infiltrated the village."

Iko and the two Anbu's eyes immediately shot open as the news hit them like a hurricane. They stood in silence as they tried to comprehend the gravity of the situation.

"They're here?" Iko thought, anxiously biting her lip. "In the village? But why?"

"We'll have to seal off the village from any incoming ninja," stated the Anbu to Iko's right with a dark ponytail jutting from the back of his head. "And alert the defense teams."

"We will immediately inform the Third Hokage of their presence," the second Anbu to Iko's left with spiky sandy blonde hair said.

"What shall we do about the chunin exams?" Iko inquired, assuming the chunin exam would be a hindrance to their search for these two. "We'll obviously have to shut it down and have them return once we've deemed the area safe."

"No," Anko announced, as Iko gave her a shocked, confused expression. "It's becoming a real disaster, but we can't cancel the test."

"What do you mean?" asked the sandy-haired Anbu, clearly following Iko's train of thought.

Before Iko could protest as well, a chunin with a small, pointed, black beard suddenly entered the room holding a video tape. He quickly informed them that they should take a look at it.

"What could be on the tape?" Iko pondered, wondering why the contents of it were so important that this chunin interrupted an important meeting. "Could it be Orochimaru or Koori?"

Once the chunin inserted the video into the VCR system, he alerted everyone to pay attention to the time. As the video appeared on the screen showing a Sand Village ninja squad in the tower and everyone glanced at the top right corner of the screen, Anko and the chunin informed the confused guests that this was only an one hour and thirty-seven minutes after the start of the second part of the chunin exam.

"What?! That's impossible!" Iko thought, as Anko, the chunin, and the Anbu described how unusual this was due to the dangerous creatures and genin lurking along the ten kilometers from the gate to the tower as well as the fact they did not possess a speck of dirt on them. "So this is the caliber of Sand Village genin?"

Everyone began to leave the room. The chunin exited the door the he came in from and the two Anbu Black Ops escaped through the window. Just as Iko mounted herself on the window and was about to follow after the Anbu, Anko called her name.

"Iko!" Anko called, as Iko quickly turned around. "Be careful…I don't know what their intentions are."

With that, Anko shut the door the chunin came through behind her. Iko lingered in the windowsill for a moment, reflecting on Anko's words, and looked out onto the Forest of Death.

"Midori, Nima, Kishu…" Iko said under her breath, as she furrowed her brow. "There are dangerous people prowling around here. Stay safe you guys."

After quietly making her wish, Iko disappeared from the window into the darkness of the night as her students slept below, unaware of great dangers lurking the forest and awaited them outside the Forest of Death.


	17. Chapter 17: A Broken Wing

**Chapter 17: A Broken Wing**

There she was standing in the arena with all her enemies fallen beside her as the crowd continued to cheer and applaud. Midori stood there taking all their love and praise in as she spotted her sensei, her parents, and her little sister in the crowd smiling down at her. Suddenly, she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind. Midori turned to find herself face to face with the Third Hokage who gave her a warm, gentle smile and she nearly fainted. The Third Hokage grasped her hand a placed a badge in it.

"Congratulations, Midori," The Third Hokage praised. "I will now present you with the badge that all chunins possess."

Midori could feel the tears fall from her eyes and she stared at the badge within her hands, shaking the entire time.

"Thank you so much," Midori bowed to the Third Hokage. "Thank you, thank you, thank you,…"

"Fish!" two voices suddenly shouted to her left. Recognizing the voice, Midori's smile faded and she turned to verify her fears. Just as she predicted both Nima and Kishu stood smiling and they were each holding a plate of fish.

"What are you two doing?!" she snapped, irritated that they were stealing her glory. "Can't you see I'm busy!"

"Look, Midori," they repeated. "Fish! We have fish!"

"No, go away," Midori urged as she began to nudge them away with her elbow as the Third Hokage still stood there with the badge. However, that only encouraged them to encroach even more into Midori's space until they had her completely surrounded.

"Fish! We have fish!," they repeated again only inches from her face. "Look, Midori! We have fish!"

"I don't care! Now would you both move!" Midori exclaimed as she peeked over their shoulders. However, her heart sunk once she saw the Third Hokage exit the stadium without having given her the chunin badge. The people in the arena also proceeded to leave and Iko-sensei tapped on Midori's shoulder from behind. Midori turned to see her perky, smiling face.

"Well, I guess there's always next year, my sweet genin" she laughed as Nima and Kishu continued chanting "Fish!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!" Midori screamed as she shut her eyes.

She quickly sat up and opened them once again as her heart started to beat madly and she felt clammy all over. Breathing heavily, she grasped the glasses at her side and proceeded to place them on her face. She turned to find Nima and Kishu studying her with a confused, concerned expression as they held onto three tree branches with charred fish staring back at her. Heaving a sigh of relief, Midori realized that it was morning and she was still in the Forest of Death and there was still hope that she could become a chunin.

"Um, Midori?" Nima asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why what's wrong?" Midori questioned, examining herself to see if she sustained any wounds or the like in her sleep.

"Well, it's just…I found a river nearby and caught us some fish and Nima helped me cook them over a fire we made," Kishu started. "And while we were cooking you started crying and talking to yourself."

"I did?" Midori mumbled, embarrassed that she was talking in her sleep.

"So we just wanted to make sure everything was alright," Nima said patting her head.

"Everything's good," Midori responded, shrugging Nima's hand from her head and grabbing the branch Kishu shoved toward her. "After we all finish our meal I guess we should start looking for that ninja pack."

"Yes, ma'am," Nima and Kishu saluted, chomping away at their fish. Midori looked down at the fish on her stick. In her tired state, it appeared that the fish were simply charred, but now that she had gotten a closer look, she realized that the poor salmon was burnt to a crisp. Not wanting to reject her teammates hard work and deny her growling stomach any food, tore away at her fish as well. Once they all finished their meal, they proceeded to put out the fire and prepared for their task.

"Ok, everyone here's the plan," Midori began as she collected her ribbons from the bush. "Given that Nima is proficient in scouting, I think it would be fine if she went out by herself and scanned the trees for the scroll."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kishu asked, uncomfortable with letting his sister go off by herself in this dangerous area.

"We don't have any other choice," Midori snapped. "We are never going to get anywhere if we all clump together. We'll cover more ground is we split up into two teams and utilize both of your flying abilities."

"That's true," Kishu agreed, still anxious about Nima's safety.

"Alright, so while Nima is scouting the treetops, Kishu and I will team up," she explained. "I'll be searching for the ninja pack on the ground and under the treetops while Kishu watches above for any approaching enemies. It will also help us easily locate each other since you two can see each other from the skies. So that's the plan, questions?"

Kishu and Nima shook their heads and Midori clapped her hands together.

"Very good!" Midori said, as she wiped out a green ribbon. "Now let's find those scrolls."

"Right!" Nima and Kishu said in unison as they wings once again appeared. Nima and Kishu jumped in the air and started flapping their wings as Midori remained on the ground. Once they broke through the trees, Nima was about to fly off, when suddenly she heard her brother call her.

"Wait, Nima!" Kishu called as Nima turned towards him. "Be careful alright!"

"I will," she smiled and continued on her way, leaving a nervous, anxious Kishu to fret over her safety and endure Midori's abuse.

Once she was a far distance away from her brother and team leader, a determined expression appeared on Nima's face.

"Ok, Nima," she told herself. "Your team leader is entrusting you with this task. Don't let her down or get off task!"

However, despite such encouraging words and determination, her vow to remain focused quickly slipped her mind once she saw a pair of orange leg warmers leap through the forest. She glanced to her right and left to ensure that her brother was not nearby watching her.

"P-Perhaps I should go investigate, t-to see if he has an Earth scroll," Nima told herself, knowing full well that was not the reason for stalking the valiant Rock Lee. She kept her eyes locked on those orange leg warmers, since they were the only distinguishable color on him due to the fact that his green spandex blended into the forest around him. However, she remained so focused on him that when he stopped, on a branch, Nima crashed head first into a tree branch. She quickly hid behind a tree cover, grasping her nose, praying that he had not seen here.

With her heart beating out of her chest, she peeked her head over the tree cover to determine whether or not she had been caught. She witnessed the leaves falling from the branch she crashed into and tightly gripped the tree cover she was standing on at the moment.

"Oh, no oh no oh no!" Nima panicked, certain he would glance up to find her staring down at him.

However, much to her relief, Rock Lee was more concerned with the falling leaves than where they originated from and was shocked to see him dive down from the branch to collect them. Seeing he was about to hit a tree branch, Nima opened her mouth to warn him, but quickly covered it again, knowing it would be all over if she exposed herself. Therefore, she simply had to cringe as Rock Lee practically broke his back landing on the branch.

"Oh, no, I hope he's alright!" She thought, cursing herself for not saying anything. "I'm such a horrible person!"

However, she observed as Rock Lee recovered and dived down once again to collect the final leaf. Nima nearly swooned out of the tree.

"So dedicated!" she whispered as a blush began to appear upon face. Nima was abruptly torn from her fantasies once she saw a bright orange, flickering light to the left of Rock Lee. She squinted her eyes to get a closer look.

"It…It couldn't be could it?" Nima said, barely able to believe her eyes. "Is that…a flaming squirrel?!"

As if reading her mind, Rock Lee landed on the ground and immediately bounded over to the burning forest animal. However, Rock Lee disproved the existence of a new species of flaming squirrel when he tore and quickly extinguished a paper bomb that had been attached to the squirrel's back. Nima hid her face behind the tree cover and could not help by admire his heroism.

"What a great guy!" She thought, as she pressed her hands to her warm cheeks. "To risk his life to save that poor squirrel!"

Nima decided she definitely needed to know more about this Rock Lee and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. She jumped from tree to tree focusing on the orange leg warmers below. Nima managed to stay a few paces ahead of Rock Lee from the sky and witnessed the battle coming up ahead. Through the branches and leaves, Nima could make out the pink-haired kunoichi up ahead squaring off against the three Sound Village ninja from earlier.

"One against three?!" Nima thought rather concerned despite the fact that she had a bit of a vendetta against her for rejecting her brave idol's affections. "Where are her teammates, especially Sasuke Uchiha?!"

After quickly glancing behind Sakura, she soon found her answer as she spotted her two incapacitated teammates, lying unconscious as the Sound Village ninjas prepared to attack. Nima watched as Sakura revealed two feeble traps she had set which failed to halt the oncoming Sound Village ninjas. Before the Sound Village ninja could lay a finger on Sakura, Rock Lee leapt from the nearby bushes and intervened between Sakura and the three, menacing ninja.

"Leaf Hurricane!" Rock Lee shouted as he managed to successfully kick back the advancing Sound Village ninja. Once the Sound Village ninja were sent back, Rock Lee assumed his stance with one hand behind his back and one hand forward as his palm turned towards his face, much like his stance when he fought with Sasuke Uchiha prior to the registration for the chunin exams. Both Sakura and Nima's mouths dropped, surprised that a genin no matter how valiant would defend a complete stranger in the midst of battle when the numbers were not in their favor. Rock Lee smirked with his new squirrel sidekick sitting on his shoulder.

"It appears that you also, must make more of an effort," Rock Lee said to the mummified Sound Village ninja. (56)

"Who are you?" the mummy questioned, as Nima waited from above to hear Rock Lee speak once again. (57)

"I am the handsome devil of the Leaf Village," he began, with Nima savoring every word that escaped his lips. "And my name is Rock Lee." (58)

Sakura sat on the ground stunned, not expecting anyone, least of all Rock Lee to come to her rescue.

"Wh-What are you doing here, Lee?" Sakura asked, still wary of his intentions given that they were in the midst of a deadly exam. (59)

"I will always appear," Rock Lee announced scratching his squirrel sidekick as Nima sat with her head in her hands as though she were watching a romance movie. "Anytime and anywhere that you are in trouble, Sakura." (60)

Before Rock Lee proceeded to square up against the Sound Village ninja, Rock Lee placed his squirrel sidekick on the ground, allowing him an opportunity to escape and prevent himself from getting caught in the crossfire.

"He's probably one of those sensitive animal lovers," Nima thought warmly, somehow linking Rock Lee's rescue of the squirrel with her avian abilities and fantasized about Rock Lee gently petting her wings.

"But right now, on this test, I'm your enemy," Sakura protested as Rock Lee formed a smile on his lips. (61)

"Sakura," he stated, as though she were missing something very obvious. "I already told you…I will protect you until I die." (62)

"Yes, thank you, Rock Lee," Sakura responded, as a waterfall of tears spilled from Rock Lee's large eyes. (63)

"About time, she's realized what a brave, heroic ninja Rock Lee is," Nima pouted, not knowing whether this development was a good or bad thing. However, Nima could not dwell on the matter for too long since the mummified ninja darted forward towards Rock Lee. Rock Lee proceeded to shove his hand deep down into the bare ground as the Sound Village ninja was only steps away from him.

"What could he be doing?!" Nima thought frantically, tightly gripping the branch she was hiding behind. "Look out, Rock Lee!"

Much to her surprise, when his hand reemerged from the ground, a giant tree root rose with it, blocking the Sound Village ninja's attack just in the nick of time. Then, Rock Lee proceeded to unravel the cloth around his arm.

"It's just like that time," Midori thought, recalling the battle between Sasuke and Rock Lee. "I left too soon to see him reveal it, but I'm sure this is the attack!"

Nima silently watched in anticipation as the Sound Village ninja once again rushed towards Rock Lee. However, before the Sound Village ninja could land a single punch, Rock Lee disappeared and quickly reappeared under him to give him a solid kick to the face, sending him straight upward. Despite the Sound Village ninjas hopes, the technique did not end there as Rock Lee once again reappeared grabbing from behind and wrapping him with his dangling white cloth. Nima could not help but note that this bandaged Sound Village ninja now truly did resemble a mummy. Both Rock Lee and the mummy made a nose dive straight for the ground and right before they both made contact with the ground below, Rock Lee managed to quickly jump out of the way.

"Yes, he got him!" Nima celebrated, throwing a fist in the air. However, she realized she celebrated too soon, when the Sound Village ninja despite, such an impact, rose once again, much to both her and Rock Lee's surprise. The other ninja with the cow-print pants revealed he had somehow managed to cushion his partners fall by making the dirt below softer after inserting his hands into the ground. Nima's heart began to beat wildly and sweat began to bead up on her forehead.

"So these are the type of guys running around this forest?" Nima thought, as she glanced over at Rock Lee. "Oh, no! And Rock Lee doesn't look so well!"

As Nima feared, the attack took quite a bit out of Rock Lee as he huffed and puffed, trying to recover himself for the next attack. However, the Sound Village ninja was in no mood to wait and taking his opportunity, he lunged towards Rock Lee and tried to punch him in the face but failed. Nima was close to celebrating Rock Lee's clever evasion of the attack when she suddenly recalled an incident similar to this earlier on in the exam with Kabuto. Nima's suspicions were correct as Rock Lee crumbled to one knee after seeming to absorb an invisible attack and vomit. She also observed a small trickle of blood escape his left ear as he proceeded to clutch it in pain.

"It's like déjà vu," Nima thought. "How can one injure someone without even making physical contact with them?!"

Her questions were soon answered as the Sound Village ninja began to explain that the device on his arm allows him to attack with sound itself since sound is simply just vibrations. Even worse, they proceeded to explain that Rock Lee's jutsus are essentially worthless when faced against theirs which does not require physical exertion or contact. As Rock Lee dwelled on this realization, he had not noticed the Sound Village ninja slip passed him to attack Sakura. However, with lightning speed, Rock Lee intervened and attempted another Leaf Hurricane to no avail. To make matters worse the Sound Village ninja performed his sound jutsu once again and explained that he could target it anywhere he chose. With that, the sound waves were sent straight to Rock Lee's injured ear and Rock Lee finally collapsed.

Nima's heart raced madly and sweat began to slip down her temple. Her hero she supported and praised this entire time has fallen after his brave and noble fight and is now vulnerable to an attack. Nima panicked. If the pink-haired kunoichi could not even defend herself, how in the world was she going to defend her savior? There was no time.

"What should I do?!" Nima panicked, uncertain whether to involve herself or not. As she racked her brain for a decision, Nima spotted the Sound Village ninja rear up for an attack. As if instinctively, quickly lifted her wing in the air and sliced the air, sending several feathers as sharp as daggers careening towards the mummified ninja. At the same instant, Sakura sent a series of kunai towards the ninja as well. The mummified ninja saw both projectiles heading towards him, but felt that the kunai took precedence and lifted his hand to block the oncoming kunai. Luckily for him they landed right in the space between his feet and the injured Rock Lee. Nima heaved a sigh of relief that Sakura had successfully distracted the mummified ninja and drawn the attention away from Rock Lee.

Even in his battered state, Rock Lee managed to open his eyes and spot the green feathers standing erect only inches from his face.

"It is those feathers," Rock Lee mumbled to himself, as he recalled the feather from the staircase and the missing earring from the red-headed kunoichi. "Is it that kunoichi? Is she an ally or an enemy?"

Since the mummified ninja was occupied with Sakura, he only stole a quick glimpse of the trees above, trying to determine the source of the feathers. His teammates also noticed and glanced up as well.

"Was this a simple attack by a deadly animal inhabiting this forest or was it an genin?" the Sound Village ninja pondered. "Oh, well, guess I'll have to deal with it later."

Unbeknownst to both the Sound Village ninja, another ninja hiding in the bushes with his blonde-haired teammate clad in purple and his other rather pudgy teammate with red swirls on both his cheeks noticed the green feathers as well.

"What sort of animal has feathers like that?!" the ninja with a pineapple-shaped head thought to himself, finding another reason to hate this forest. "Man, what a drag."

Nima remained still behind the leaves, desperately trying not to make a sound. She had done it. She had involved herself in the fight defending a stranger she barely knew. Nima could not understand whether this was a noble or terribly reckless move on her part. Regardless, Nima decided she could not simply walk away from this battle and leave this ninja defenseless as she and Kishu had prior to the start of the first portion of the chunin exam. Her strategy was rather reserved consisting of simply observing for the time being and intervening when she felt Rock Lee was in danger.

Luckily for her, Sakura began to take an active role in defending Rock Lee and her squad as she proceeded to throw another round of weapons, this time switching it up with shuriken which were then careened back at her by the ninja with the cow-print pants. Before Sakura could recover herself, the female member of the Sound Village squad sneaked up behind her and grasped a chunk of her long, pink hair.

Slowly slipping into unconsciousness, Rock Lee somehow managed to turn his head just enough to witness Sakura struggling under the Sound Village kunoichi's grasp. Sakura. The girl he vowed to protect.

"Please…," Rock Lee thought to himself as he glanced up at the trees, hoping for the red-headed kunoichi to emerge. "If you are up there…please save her…"

As the Sound Village ninja proposed killing the girl's squad right in front of her, Nima soon realized that the situation was getting very bad, very quickly.

"If I don't do something quickly those Leaf Village ninja will die!" Nima said to herself, as she contemplated throwing another line of her razor sharp feathers. "But if I intervene for a bunch of strangers and injure myself, then I'll be a liability to Kishu and Midori! Oh what do I do?!"

As Nima's desperately tried to make a decision, she witnessed Sakura lift her kunai in the air.

"Don't tell me…," Nima watched, petrified with fear. "…she's going to kill herself?!"

However, much to Nima's surprise and relief Sakura did not direct the blade towards her jugular and instead targeted her pink locks.

"W-What is she doing?" Nima mumbled to herself, confused as to how this would help her in battle.

Despite her confusion with this sudden trimming, Nima could not help but feel a different sort of energy emitting from Sakura she had not felt before. This once weak and feeble girl soon transformed into a determined, courageous kunoichi right before her eyes and the detached follicles fell limply to the ground. As if to reinforce her image, Sakura proceeded to take the offensive with these Sound Village ninja despite their brutal attacks. Something about this kunoichi lit a fire within Nima.

"What am I doing up here worrying and whimpering?!" Nima scolded herself. "If that girl can fight for those who are precious to her, then why can't I?"

Taking a stand, Nima spread her wings and revealed herself from the tree cover, exposing herself to everyone below. However, most of the ninja below remained focused on the fight between Sakura and the other ninja, so only a three ninja managed to catch this display. The first was the pineapple headed ninja who detected the green feathers from earlier. He caught her wings out of the corner of his eye since he could not see her full body from his vantage point.

"Whoa, it really was a bird!" he thought flabbergasted. "What's wrong with this forest?!"

The second ninja was probably the one everyone least expected. That ninja was Rock Lee. Despite being seconds away from losing consciousness, Rock Lee managed to glance above as the leaves in the tree began to rustle. As though his prayers were answered, Rock Lee saw those green feathered wings that had plagued him since the beginning of the chunin exams. The sun shone in his eyes which obstructed him from properly identifying the owner of the wings, but he was able to determine that the silhouette was that of a woman. In Rock Lee's dismal, disoriented state, the being descending from the tree appeared like an angel with the bright light, womanly features, and the wings.

"Thank you…," Rock Lee smiled, believing this proved she was an ally, before slipping away.

However, just as she was about to take a nose dive into the fight and confirm Rock Lee's opinion of her, Nima felt an immense pressure near her elbow. She turned to find a kunai jutting just above her elbow. Once she acknowledged the weapon penetrating her appendage, Nima felt a sharp, shooting pain up through her arm. Nima glanced down to identify the perpetrator discovered it to be the third person who witnessed her. The mummified Sound Village ninja who was hovering over Rock Lee from the background.

"Hmph, I knew it wasn't a bird," he chuckled, smiling under his wrappings. "No bird has feathers like that."

The pineapple-headed ninja caught the Sound Village ninja throw the kunai, but did not truly make anything of it. In fact, he thought the ninja was simply eliminating a threat.

"I realize this thing throws wicked scary feathers," he mumbled to himself as he watched the creature struggle on the other side of the tree cover. "But man, it's just a bird."

Desperately trying to remain in the air, Nima frantically flapped her wings and attempted to put the blood dripping from her arm out of her mind. However, with ever wing beat, the kunai seemed to sink deeper and deeper into her flesh and since the wound was so close to her elbow joint, she felt a throbbing pain every time she bent it to catch air under her wings. Despite her desperate attempts to fly, Nima could feel herself begin to fall. She knew quite well that it takes two wings to fly and when one is out of commission, it's all over. Unfortunately, she was too far away from the trees to latch onto a tree branch, so Nima shut her eyes and clenched her teeth bracing herself for the impact of the fall.

However, just as all hope seemed lost, Nima suddenly felt something grab her under her armpits and pull her away from the battle. She slowly opened one eye and then proceeded to open both as she observed the all too common treetops of the Forest of Death obscuring the forest floor. A confused Nima glanced at her chest where two legs were desperately trying to hold onto her. Nima followed the legs to find that they belonged to her team leader.

"Midori!" Nima smiled, happy to see a familiar face. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?!" Midori snapped as her entire body started quivered with her tiny legs trying to hold up a weight they were not normally accustomed to. A vein popped out of her head as she tried to focus her energy between feeding chakra through her ribbons so they remained tied around Kishu's ankles and willing her legs to remain wrapped around her partner.

"Nima, are you alright?!" Kishu called from above as he also began to feel the pressure of carrying two ninja.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Nima called up, forgetting the kunai in her arm until she tried to move it to wave to him.

"Don't move idiot!" Midori hissed, as her squirming loosened her grip on Nima. "Don't move until we get back to our hideout!"

Once they were at their hideout, Kishu slowly descended to the ground. At a reasonable height, Midori released her grip on Nima who landed nicely on her feet. However, having carried a person with her stout legs for quite a few kilometers, Midori landed on her bottom once she released her ribbons from Kishu's ankles avoiding utilizing the muscles in her legs to even stand. Kishu was the last to land and his wings immediately disappeared.

"What happened back there?! Who were those guys?!" Kishu asked, grabbing her shoulders and gently shaking her as he assaulted her with more questions. "Why didn't you call us over?! And why in the world is there a kunai sticking out of your arm?!"

"Calm down, Kishu," Midori said, waving a hand at him, still too exhausted to bother standing up, as she had more pressing matters on her mind. "More importantly, do you have your ninja pack?"

A small shiver ran up his spine as he glanced down at his side, hoping this would not be a repeat of last time. Thankfully, the pack was securely attached to his side.

"Yes, ma'am!" Kishu exclaimed as tears fell from his eyes.

"Very good," Midori sighed, as though a huge burden had been lifted off their shoulders. "Now, before we head for the tower, let's quickly wrap up that arm."

"Alright," Nima said cheerfully, sticking her ninja headband in her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Midori asked confused. It wasn't until Nima had a solid grip on the kunai in her arm that she realized what Nima was about to do. Before she could order her to stop, Nima swiftly yanked the kunai out sending a splatter of blood all across Kishu and Midori's face.

"Ow," Nima moaned, as tears welled up in her eye and she dropped the headband from her mouth and watching the blood ooze out of her wound.

"Are you an idiot?!" Midori snapped, wiping blood form her glasses. "You can't be so impulsive, yanking things out of your arm! Now hold still while I wrap it!"

"OK," Nima whimpered as Kishu wrapped his arms around her in an embrace and rubbed his blood smeared face against hers.

"Don't cry, Nima, or I'll start crying too!" Kishu mumbled as tears already began to descend from his cheeks.

Seeing this overly affectionate display reminded Midori why she never wanted to be in a squad with these dolts in the first place.

"Will you both, shut up?! And Kishu wipe your face!" Midori shouted as she gingerly grabbed Nima's arm. "Now does anyone have any bandages in their ninja packs?"

Nima and Kishu just stared blankly at her. Just as Midori feared, no one had thought to bring in any medical equipment.

"Geez, I guess that's what happens when we don't have a medically prone ninja in the squad," Midori grumbled to herself as she pulled out a blue and red ribbon. Despite not having an extensive medical background, Midori had enough sense to realize that the injury had to be cleaned out. Midori made a few hand signs and lo and behold water began to drip from the blue ribbon. She bunched it up into a giant ball and gently scrubbed the wounded area. She washed away any debris or dried blood she encountered. Once the area was completely disinfected, or at least disinfected enough to Midori's standards, Midori whipped out her red ribbon which had a bit of healing power, but only for small cuts and bruises. For Nima's injury, she would need a professional to fix it. However, this was all Midori could manage at the time being and she figured the ninja they might encounter later will assume that it is just a decoration rather than a bandage so she would not be targeted later.

"Now, Nima," Midori addressed her, as she tightly wrapped the ribbon around her arm, aggressively letting out her frustrations in this activity. "What made you think it was a good idea to intervene in a ninja fight alone?"

"Well,…" Nima began, wincing at every coil Midori wrapped around her arm and trying to formulate a reasonable excuse for her interference. "…I-I thought if I could locate a person with the scrolls we were looking for…then we could target them if we didn't find the ninja pack…and…"

"You know I noticed that green spandex kid you've been ogling at this entire time was down there," Midori interrupted, immediately detecting one of Nima's lies as she did prior to their registration and refusing to listen or humor her any further. "Is he involved somehow?"

At Midori's insinuations, Nima's face flushed as red as the ribbon on her arm and she could not give an answer.

"You know you two are pathetic!" Midori snapped at both Kishu and Nima. "First, we can't attack a potential target because they're a pretty girl in the squad and then, we waste time and energy grabbing our teammate who interfered with a fight because a cute boy was in it! Don't y'all know we're trying to become chunin, not arrange a marriage?!"

"Sorry," Nima and Kishu blushed staring sheepishly at their hands.

"Whatever," Midori sighed, realizing she was getting nowhere with these two. "Let's just get to the tower before we lose our scrolls again."

Midori tied the red ribbon into her signature cute little bow and they set off for the tower. Once they arrived, Kishu whipped out his two scrolls and entered the building. Nervously awaiting the other ninja squads they may encounter who passed the second part of the chunin exam during the next three days.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(56) - (63) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	18. Chapter 18: I Won't Say I'm In Love

**Chapter 18: I Won't Say I'm In Love**

Two days had passed and already Midori was itching to leave the tower or at least get away from her love-struck teammates. The endless ogling and swooning started with Kishu the very second they arrived.

When they had first entered the tower halfway through the second day and searched for a spare room, Midori, Nima, and Kishu found that two teams had already successfully completed the second part of the chunin exam. As they passed the first room, they found a squad of menacing Sand Village ninja staring back at them. Midori and her team quickly scurried passed the room, not wanting to incur the wrath of the kunoichi with the giant fan, the ninja with the purple face paint that Midori recognized as one who took a bathroom break in the middle of the first portion of the exam, and especially not the red-headed ninja with the gourd on his back who looked back at them with icy cold blue eyes. Hoping to find a less threatening squad in the second room, Midori put her hand out halting her two red headed teammates while she peeked her aquamarine head out just passed the door frame.

"It's those rookies!," Midori thought, surprised as she recognized the timid, raven-haired girl, the ninja with his whimpering white dog in his lap, and the strange ninja wearing sunglasses and a large grey coat. "How could they have made it here before us?!"

Frustrated that she let a group of young rookies beat her team to the tower, especially since they could have arrived at the tower on the first day had Kishu taken greater care in securing his ninja pack, Midori suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. Midori turned to find Kishu right next to her face, startling her a bit.

"So who's in there Midori?" Kishu asked as Nima moved closer to hear as well.

"It's that one rookie team from before," Nima whispered as she tried to shove Kishu's curious face out of her personal zone. "The one with Hinata and…"

Once Midori uttered the name, "Hinata," Kishu could not wait to hear Midori describe the rest of the team as he suddenly bolted forward, accidentally knocking Midori off her feet and fully exposing himself in the doorway.

"Hey, Hinata!" Kishu called, frantically waving his hand back and forth, as the bewildered rookies inside the room watched this bizarre character in the doorway. "Glad you made it!"

"Kishu, you idiot!" Midori cursed under her breath, humiliated by her partner's ignorance. "Read the mood a bit why dontcha!"

"H-hello," Hinata mumbled meekly, confused and overwhelmed by Kishu's abrupt entrance, and gave a small wave as her teammates glanced from their teammate to the hyperactive ninja standing at the doorway.

"Look we don't want any trouble," the ninja in sunglasses announced as he rose from his seat, suspicious of this strange group's behavior.

"Neither do we," Midori responded as she rose to her feet and desperately latched onto the grinning and waving Kishu and tried pulling him to the next room, with no success. "We'll just be on our way. Sorry to have bothered you."

"Wait, you guys!" the ninja holding the white dog announced, much to his standing teammate and Midori's surprise. "You can stay for a bit!"

Midori stood in shock, surprised by this sudden invitation. The ninja with the sunglasses leaned down towards his teammate's ear.

"What are you doing, Kiba?" he snapped, clearly not comfortable with these ninja encroaching upon their space. "You can't be letting strangers into our room! We don't know what their intentions are!"

"I know, Shino, but this is the first time Akamaru has stopped quivering since we entered the tower," Kiba reasoned, as the white fur ball in his lap began to wag his tail. "Akamaru wouldn't be acting this way if they were an enemy. They are from the same village as us after all and besides, Hinata seems to know them, right, Hinata?"

"U-um…y-yes," Hinata answered Kiba, afraid to catch the gaze of Shino's sunglasses.

Before Shino could protest, he turned to find the entire group from the doorway standing right in front of them. The two red-heads wore a goofy grin on their face as the miniature kunoichi lagged towards the back of the group, just as suspicious of these rookies as Shino was of them.

"Sorry to barge in like that," Kishu grinned scratching the back of his head. "My name is Kishu. This here is my twin, Nima, and this is our team leader, Midori."

"Hi!" Nima said cheerfully.

"H-hello," Midori mumbled, feeling awkward engaging in this greeting ritual with their enemies. "Nice to meet you."

"Howdy, guys," Kiba smiled, beckoning them to a nearby bed. "Have a seat. Sorry we don't have any more chairs."

Kishu sat on the bed nearest to Hinata whose chair was only inches from him, Nima took her place next to Kishu, swinging her legs back and forth like a child, and Midori awkwardly took her place closest to the door should she need to escape.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Kiba announced. "My name is Kiba Inuzuka and this white fluff ball is my dog, Akamaru. This is Hinata Hyuga and this is our team leader, Shino Aburame."

"N-Nice to meet you," Hinata bowed nervously as her face flushed pink. Shino simply remained silent still wary of these newcomers.

"What a nice team you have, Hinata!" Kishu gushed, focusing all his attention on her. Hinata simply nodded sheepishly, unaccustomed to having someone so enthused talking to her. As Kishu spoke with Hinata, Akamaru suddenly rose and hopped from Hinata's lap to Kishu's and finally to Nima's where he rested his front paws on her chest and started licking her green feather earring.

"Akamaru!" Kiba said, patting his lap for Akamaru to return. "Sorry, he gets a bit excited around company."

"It's fine," Nima reassured him, scratching behind his ear and tickling his nose with her green feather. "He's so cute!"

Akamaru continued to play with the elusive green feather when suddenly his nose twitched and he followed the scent he was trailing all the way to the red ribbon wrapped around her elbow. Akamaru gave the cute bow a quick tug as the ribbon completely unraveled, exposing Nima's fresh wound from the battle with Rock Lee, Naruto's team, and the Sound Village ninja. Midori examined the wound, realizing the ribbon's healing powers had almost no effect. Nima winced as she felt the cold air hit it, still tender, and Akamaru's small, wet tongue gently lick away the dried blood.

"Ouch," Kiba uttered as he cringed at the oozing injury. "That's one nasty gash. What happened?"

"Oh, just a little kunai injury is all," Nima laughed as she let Akamaru continue licking the wound, remembering something someone once told her about the enzymes on dogs' tongues and wounds. Midori reached over, shooing Akamaru away who proceeded to dejectedly hop back to Kiba, and attempting to rewrap the wound.

"Why would you wrap the wound in ribbon?" Shino asked suddenly, breaking his silence and irking Midori who felt he was insulting her handiwork. "Don't you all have any bandages with you?"

"No…," Midori answered, formulating a false reason for the missing wrapping rather than blatantly admitting that none of them thought to bring any medical equipment. "…we dropped it during one of our battles."

"No one brought any…Guh!" Kishu sputtered, attempting to correct as she quickly slugged him in the ribcage before could finish his sentence and brand them as liars in front of these rookies.

"So this ribbon was our last resort," Midori finished as she tied the wrapping in another one of her signature bows.

"U-um, I-I have some bandages if you would like it," Hinata said as she reached into her ninja pack and revealed a nice wad of it. "I-It's not much, but I hope it helps."

"It's more than enough!" Kishu said, as he clasped Hinata's hand holding the bandage. "Thank you!"

"That will work perfectly," Midori agreed eye-balling that lovely white fabric.

"Thank you very much, Hinata!" Nima smiled and gave a small bow.

Not used to this much attention, Hinata's cheeks immediately turned from a ghostly white to a rosy red, as she sunk into her jacket and nervously tapped her index fingers together. Midori stood up, relieved to have an excuse to leave.

"Well, if you all don't mind," Midori began, urging Nima and Kishu to stand up. "We're going to clean her wound off and borrow y'alls bandage. We'll be sure to return it to you once we're finished."

"Before you all go, there's something you should know about our neighbors next door," Kiba whispered, referring to the Sand Village ninja from before. "That family of Sand ninja…especially the little red-head with the gourd…He's bad news…You guys would be best to stay away from them."

Midori observed as the merry demeanor or the room suddenly turned somber and fearful as their faces fell and Akamaru began to whimper and shake once again. They thanked them once again for the bandage and left the room, heading towards the bathroom with that foreboding message hanging over their heads as Midori applied the bandage to Nima's arm.

After they left the bathroom as well as the next twenty-four hours, Midori and Nima almost never saw Kishu as he created chores or errands for himself that continually lead him back to Hinata's room, such as returning the bandages and the like. Shino and Kiba found this to be quite useful as they had him perform odd jobs around the room, such as sweeping and changing the sheets. This left Midori with Nima as she cleaned her wound and listened to her gushing about how helpful Kishu had been lately, oblivious that the raven-haired girl was the reason for his active role.

By the third day, soon found herself alone as Rock Lee and his squad finally made it to the tower and occupied the room next to theirs. Both mentally and physically with Kishu covering the physical aspect and Nima covering the mental aspect. Too fearful and nervous to leave the room should she run into Rock Lee, the farthest she traveled was to their door to peek out and wait for Rock Lee to leave his room or the bathroom, just to quickly pull her head back in and lay flat against the wall. Therefore, Nima was always physically around Midori, since she also barely left the room except to find food or go to the bathroom. However, whenever Midori tried to lecture or advise her about her techniques or fighting style for the next part of the chunin exam, Nima simply stared off into space with a ridiculous grin plastered to her blushing face as she babbled on about fuzzy eyebrows and green spandex, not hearing a word Midori said.

Now back to the present on the fourth day, Midori had about enough of this ridiculous behavior from her incompetent teammates and found herself continually leaving their room to check the clock outside to see how much longer she needed to be trapped with those idiots.

"Thirty-six hours," Midori griped as she headed for the restroom. "A whole day and a half, watching Kishu make a fool of himself with those rookies and hearing Nima go on and on about that weird green spandex ninja! He has caterpillars for eyebrows for goodness sakes! Besides, why doesn't she just go up and talk to him and get it all out of her system instead of coming back to me?! I'm not a relationship expert!"

However, in venting her inner frustrations, Midori rounded the corner too quickly and failed to notice another ninja on the other side. As she collided with the person, her head landed face first into whatever sweet pastry the person was holding. She knew it was sweet as a large chunk forced itself into her mouth and down her throat once she fell to the floor. Whatever the ninja was carrying remained stuck to her face and smeared her glasses, leaving her practically blind.

"Not the cake!" the ninja moaned as Midori licked the frosting off her glasses and wiped them on her sleeve, so she could at least see this distraught individual and give him a piece of her mind. Once she repositioned her glasses on the bridge of her nose, Midori found the heavier set rookie with the red swirls on his cheeks from the blonde-haired kunoichi's team. The ninja wore a short-sleeved green jacket over a pale yellow shirt with a circular red symbol along with a long, white scarf dangling from his neck as well as silver earrings attached to his ear. His bandaged hands were gripping his head with a Leaf Village ninja headband that appeared to Midori like blue ladies underwear with two large tuffs of light red-brown hair escaping out the two holes. The rookie wore a distressed expression on his face seeing his lunch all over the kunoichi's face.

Having this literally be the frosting on the cake of her miserable two days, Midori stood up and shot the ninja the most intimidating glare she could muster with white frosting as well as bits of strawberry and cake plastered on her face.

"Watch where you're going rookie!" Midori snapped as the ninja held his hands out in front of him in fear. Not only was Midori irritated by that fact this ninja was more concerned with food than bumping into someone, but she was also irritated by that fact that this genin who was younger than her still managed to tower a few inches above her as well. As she was preparing to tear into him, Midori spotted a crumpled plastic wrapper in his right hand.

"Hey, is that the logo for "The Great Konoha Bakery'?" Midori asked, straightening her glasses to get a better view of the logo's pink background and aquamarine lettering in the corner.

"Yeah," the pudgy ninja confirmed, now staring dejectedly at the wrapper. "They only had a three slices left of this strawberry cake, so I drained my entire allowance for the week, to get the last three…and that was the last slice."

"Ah, our 'Strawberry Shortcake Delight," Midori said as she swiped a bit of frosting off her face with her finger and tasted it again, thus, confirming her assumption. "We're waiting on a supply of strawberries from the next village over. Shouldn't take too long."

"Wait, you work there?!" the portly ninja asked as his eyes immediately lit up.

"I'm the owners' daughter," Midori stated nonchalantly, eyeing the ladies restroom sign only a few feet away as she felt the frosting begin to crust on her face. "In fact, I baked this batch of cakes."

Feeling ridiculous standing there having a conversation with someone as cake crumbs and strawberries fell from her face, Midori was about to head towards the bathroom when suddenly she felt two hands grip her shoulders and holding her in place. She quickly glanced up at the young rookie, fearing that he may not have been as benign as she thought and figuring he must have been insulted when she shouted at her. However, Midori did not expect what came of this ninja's mouth.

"You made those deliciously, scrumptious cakes?!" he shouted as Midori felt his fiery soul and passion. "You're amazing!"

Not expecting such praise, Midori simply stood there in his grasp, speechless. No one had ever been so genuinely pleased or appreciative of her pastries or desserts before. Or pretty much anything she did for that matter. In the ninja academy or her family's bakery, be it her short height or her meticulous attention to detail with all the desserts and pastries, Midori always found herself patronized or teased by her teachers, peers, and even her parents, who shared some eerily similar characteristics with her sensei and two red-headed teammates and where her short-tempered nature first arose. Even when she baked these Strawberry Shortcake Delights and frosted them, her parents were playfully teasing and mocking her from afar, telling her not to mess up as she squirted small pink flower petals onto the cake, knowing her obsession over perfecting the details and presentation of the cakes, and patted her on the head as though she were two years old bringing her in a mud pie she had made in the dirt. Perhaps it was this craving for proper recognition and acknkowledgement of her power and talents or perhaps it was simply the love-dovey atmosphere created by her two air-headed companions, but Midori's heart began to race as she began to see this rookie in the different light.

"I just found that heavenly place the other day!" the chubby ninja exclaimed as he released his grip on Midori. "I never knew I would be talking one of the chefs who made those delectable treats, let alone the owners' daughter! I'm telling everyone about you!"

Still in shock, Midori simply stood there, staring in awe at this ninja. Suddenly, Midori's concentration was broken as Chouji reached his hand in front of Midori's face.

"My name is Chouji Akimichi," the pudgy ninja announced. "What's yours?"

"M-Midori," Midori mumbled, finally catching her voice and grabbing his outstretched hand with her small, quivering one. As if his words were not enough to start her heart pitter-pattering, the touch of his strong, warm hands as he shook hers up and down made her already racing heart begin to pound ten times faster.

"Oh, by way, you've got a little frosting on your face," Chouji noted, searching for a rag or towel or some kind on his person, but had to resort to his scarf. "Here you go."

Terrified that Chouji might uncover her bright red cheeks if he wiped away the frosting, Midori took a quick step back with her arms pinned stiffly to her side.

"E-Excuse me!" Midori stuttered as she darted passed him to the ladies room, leaving Chouji stunned and confused.

Once inside the restroom, Midori frantically twisted the sink faucet on, failing to notice that it was turned to ice cold, and aggressively began scrubbing the cake off her face. As she repositioned her glasses and shut the faucet off, Midori found herself staring back at her soaked, shivering frame with water dripping from her short bangs and braids as the drops landed in the sink or on the ground or even absorb into her red shirt which was now quite damp near her dollar and sleeves. Midori could feel her legs quaking beneath her as she gripped the sink for balance, feeling her legs could give way at any moment.

"Get it together, Midori!" she told herself as she released her hands from the sink and smacked them on both her cheeks, while she contemplated everything that was wrong with how she was feeling. "You can't let a guy, especially a younger guy get you so riled up and crazy like this! Look at you you're losing it! Besides, this is the chunin exams, it's probably part of his strategy to flatter the ladies and cut them down when they're weak!"

As Midori peered at the mirror one last time, she found herself staring back at a pertrified, horrified face as she made a sudden realization.

"Oh, no," Midori thought as her two freckled teammates came into mind. "I'm turning into them!"

Fearing for her sanity, Midori scanned the hallway from the ladies restroom, verifying that Chouji had left, and bolted for her room and immediately curled herself in a ball under her covers. Luckily, Nima was still daydreaming about Rock Lee and rambling about how she caught a tiny glimpse of him outside her doorway, so she did not ask any questions. Trying to calm herself down, Midori stayed in that position all afternoon and fell asleep still scrunched in the fetal position when night fell.

As Midori, Nima, and Kishu's third night at the tower descended, each of them dreamt about the shy, raven-haired kunoichi, the green spandex clad hero, and the hefty, kind food enthusiast.


	19. Chapter 19: A Vengeful Past

**Chapter 19: A Vengeful Past**

Finally, the day everyone had been waiting for had finally arrived. The moment of truth. With the last few squads squeezing into the tower on the fifth day, the third part of the chunin exams was ready to commence. However, while the genin at the lower portion of the tower were celebrating as they finally opened their Heaven and Earth scrolls revealing a chunin that informs them they had successfully passed the second part of the chunin exam, higher up in the tower, the mood was much more tense and anxious as Anko sat in the same blue couch from a few days before surrounded by the Third Hokage, two chunins, and Iko. Still sore from the effects of the curse seal, but grateful that the Hokage managed to alleviate much of her pain, Anko rubbed her shoulder and quickly pulled her coat over the mark, reassuring the Hokage that everything was alright. Iko studied her friend with a concerned expression, imagining the horror she must have endured being face to face with that creature from her past.

"Isn't Orochimaru one of the Sanin from the Konoha Legends?" the chunin with short-brown hair jutting out over his right eye under his bandana asked, getting to the root of the meeting. "He's an S-class exiled ninja from the bingo book that even ANBU couldn't deal with, right? I heard that he died, but…"

"Why would he come to this village now…?" the other chunin with dark, spiky, gray hair picked up where his partner left off, vocalizing the question on everyone's minds.

Anko cringed as she remembered the encounter with her former teacher still fresh on her mind and his last message to her as he caressed her face that his goal was Sasuke Uchiha, the boy that carries the abilities of the Uchiha.

"Sasuke, right?" the Hokage stated, as if reading Anko's mind. Before Anko could respond, a voice suddenly spoke from one of the two television screens in front of them, informing Anko that due to the significant number of teams that passed the second part of the exams, they would perform a series of preliminary matches that had not been implemented in five years.

"Darn it," Iko thought, reflecting on the consequences of this action. "Of all times for this to happen. This will only prolong the exam and keep valuable shinobi from scouting for Orochimaru and Koori and protecting the village. Please, Hokage,…at least delay the exam!"

However, the Hokage soon dashed Iko's hopes as he confirmed the continuation of the chunin exam and promised they will scout for Orochimaru at the same time. Everyone in the room nodded, even Iko, who despite her reservations knew the Third Hokage had final say in this matter as she swallowed her frustrations.

"Also," the Hokage began. "We will also be on the lookout for Koori as well."

Iko's muscled stiffened at utterance of her name, as all the dark, violent memories associated with that name flooded to her mind. Much like Iko at the start of the meeting, Anko glanced at her dear friend with her fists tightly clenched in a ball, understanding the history between Iko and this mysterious woman.

"However, knowing Koori's nature," the Hokage stated, as he recalled the all too familiar face and the countless records of her appearances and sightings at other villages. "I believe she will only have minimal involvement in whatever scheme Orochimaru is brewing. But…given her decision to return to the village at the same time as Orochimaru,…this means that Orochimaru has something terrible in store…"

The Third Hokage paused as he glanced over at Iko who kept her eyes fixated on the blue couch, with something obviously weighing on her mind.

"…And Iko," the Third Hokage stated, as Iko's head snapped up at hearing the Hokage address her. "You are permitted to assist in all matters pertaining to Orochimaru,…but I forbid you from searching for Koori."

Iko was all too familiar with the Hokage's words and this mysterious woman, Koori and understood his concerns. Most of the records the Third Hokage drew from about Koori were collected by none other than herself. Towards the beginning of her career as a ninja, once she made chunin, Iko dedicated herself to searching for this woman and collecting everything she could to exact her revenge on this woman for her treacherous deed. However, following the deaths of three precious ninja she refused to talk about even to this day, a wise ninja allowed her to witness the light, restoring her from her dark depression, and let go of her quest for revenge that he warned would only lead to more pain and heartbreak. Despite her resolve to commit herself to protecting those most precious to her that had extended to this very day, Iko could not help but remember those days obsessing over and imagining the day she would spill that woman's blood and make her pay for all those she harmed.

"Yes, sir," Iko responded, bowing to the Third Hokage.

Concluding the meeting, the Third Hokage dismissed everyone from the room as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Iko and Anko remained for a moment in the room as the two chunin made their exit through the door. Anko turned to Iko, recognizing the stern face of her friend from years ago as she became a shell of her former self, searching endlessly, day in and day out, sacrificing sleep and food to achieve this one goal.

"Iko," Anko said weakly, as Iko turned to see her friend staring back at her with a worried expression, one that she had seen many times in the past.

"I'm fine," Iko smiled, as she returned to her normal, perky self, as Anko studied her to detect if this was simply a façade masking her true feelings. "Now, come on, superstar, it's not a party until you walk in."

"Right," Anko grinned, though still not completely reassured of her friend's wellbeing as the two vanished in a puff of smoke to greet the genin down below.


	20. Chapter 20: Fifty-Two to Forty-Nine

**Chapter 20: Fifty Two to Forty Nine**

By the time Anko and Iko arrived at the lower section of the tower, most of the chunin and jonin leaders of the genin teams had not even arrived yet, let alone all the genin. In fact, the only ninja besides them were Ibiki, the proctor from the written portion of the exam, Kakashi Hatake, and a few select chunin memebers. They separated as Anko took her position fanning out to the left from the enormous statue of hands clasped in a ninja hand sign right behind them and Iko started for her place directly in front of the statue where all the jonin leaders of the genin squads who successfully made it to the tower would stand. Still dwelling on the congregation only moments ago and the order given to her by the Third Hokage who would take his position in front of the jonin leaders, Iko kept her eyes downcast as she continued her way towards her spot as Kakashi observed her from afar.

Still stinging over his rejection by Iko, the usually tardy Kakashi Hatake made a conscience effort to come early to the location before any of the proctors, chunin, or other ninja showed up in the hopes her squad made it through which would provide him another chance to try and woo her once again. This was an odd position Kakashi found himself in by having to ask a woman out on a date twice. Nearly all of the women he encountered responded with an immediate "Yes." It was not so much that Iko rejected him that bothered Kakashi. It was the fact that she rejected him for that green spandex toting, thick eyebrowed spazz. This had been the most enthusiastic Kakashi had ever been over his immature rivalry with Gai. Of all the battles to lose, Kakashi refused to admit defeat to Gai in the love arena.

"Alright, here she comes," Kakashi thought, as Iko approached, unaware of Kakashi's plotting and scheming. "I'll get her this time."

"Hey, Iko," Kakashi said coolly, posing with his right hand in his pocket and the other hand giving a small wave. "Long time no see."

"Hmm?" Iko responded, lifting her eyes from the floor to identify the speaker. Recognizing the masked, grey-haired ninja from the hallway, Iko nonchalantly lifted her hand in a small wave.

"Oh, hey Kaka…," Iko began.

However, before Iko could finish her statement, a green blur halted right in front of her, trailing a huge cloud of dust in its wake. When the dust began to settle, Iko found a hand giving a thumbs up shoved in her face.

"We meet again, dear Iko!" shouted the mysterious individual, as Iko's eyes lit up, immediately recognizing the deep, booming quality of the voice. "It appears the power of youth guided our lovely students through to the third part of the chunin exam!"

Moving her head out of the way of the huge thumb obstructing her view, Iko found Gai winking back at her with his sparkling, white smile. As a small blush appeared across her cheek, Iko's mood brightened having encountered this dashing Beast once again and she completely forgot about the meeting with the Third Hokage that had just transpired. From behind the dust cloud, Kakashi shot a glare at the back of Gai's head.

"That fool," Kakashi cursed, clearly not pleased with the debris and dirt flying in his face. "Always popping in at the wrong time."

As he was about to rescue Iko from engaging with this overbearing ninja any further, Kakashi froze dead in his tracks when he caught a glimpse of Iko's face over Gai's shoulder. Iko appeared to have been shot by Cupid's arrow as Kakashi's observed the rosy blush on her cheeks, the goofy grin on her lips, and the longing look in her eyes. Kakashi simply stood there rooted to the spot as the reality of the situation dawned upon him.

"This has to be genjutsu, right?" Kakashi thought feebly, desperately trying to conjure up an excuse for her strange behavior, yet knowing the truth. "There's no way someone like her could really fall for someone like Gai…could she?"

Unaware of Kakashi's plight only a few feet away from her, Iko focused all her attention on the obnoxious ninja standing proudly before her.

"Why yes," Iko started, trying to compose herself. "It appears so. But, I guess it's no surprise with your team since they are lead by such a heroic mentor."

At hearing Iko recognize his superb abilities as a jonin leader, Gai closed his eyes as a blush appeared on his cheeks and he clenched his fists into a ball at his side. Then, a low muffled growl began to rumble from his mouth as though he were preparing to shout.

"What is that idiot doing now?" Kakashi thought as he watched Gai's back suddenly begin to shake.

Iko simply stood there looking confused and frightened, hoping she had not offended him. Suddenly, Gai's hand shot from his right side and clasped onto Iko's right hand, much to her surprise, and lifted it up as though he were about to have an arm wrestling match in mid-air.

"May both our youthful students advance to the glorious rank of chunin!" Gai bellowed as he tightened his grip. Kakashi observed this display, being all too familiar with Gai's ridiculous antics and a small smile creeped to his lips.

"Ha, I think he blew it," Kakashi thought, waiting for Iko to slap him or shoot him a look of disgust. However, Kakashi's smile quickly faded as he examined her face.

As if Gai's hand emitted a shock of electricity through her, Iko's heart jolted into action, pounding at a mile a minute, and the light pink blush that appeared on her cheeks earlier had now turned a deep scarlet red and spread across her entire face.

"Y-Yes," Iko stuttered, hoping Gai did not feel her hand trembling under his large, strong ones. Gai eventually released her hand and turned to walk to his place as Iko quickly followed behind, watching his jonin jacket move across his body as he walked and imagining how broad, and rippling his back muscles were without the jacket on. Anko watched the entire ordeal from her line, giggling the entire time.

"Glad she's back to her old self," Anko smiled, happy that the tense atmosphere from the meeting had finally been lifted, as Gai stared down the grey-haired ninja next to him.

"Fancy, meeting, you here my eternal rival!" Gai shouted as he pressed his arm next to a deflated Kakashi.

"Hey, Kakashi," Iko said nonchalantly, with her eyes still locked on Gai, clearly forgetting his greeting prior to the Beast's abrupt arrival.

"H-hey," Kakashi responded meekly, definitely feeling the sting of defeat. As Kakashi felt his manhood slowly slip away, the remaining senseis and the Hokage finally appeared. Once the jonin leaders fell neatly into a line, silence fell in the room as the Hokage addressed one of the nearby chunin.

"Everyone is now present," he announced with his hands tucked behind his back. "Allow the genin to enter."

The chunin nodded and transported over to the large white doors and quickly opened them. The twenty-seven genin assembled themselves into nine rows of three with their teammates as them braced themselves for what the next part of the chunin exam had in store.


	21. Chapter 21: The Moment of Truth

**Chapter 21: The Moment of Truth**

Once all the ninja entered and filed themselves in to the room accordingly, the chunin shut the door and returned to his position. Glancing out at the teams, the Third Hokage smiled, glad to see so many worthy candidates for the title of chunin. Being the proctor for the second part of the chunin exam, Anko adjusted the microphone headset to make an announcement.

"First off, congratulations on passing the second exam," Anko announced, as she recalled her prediction that half would be eliminated, but only expected less than ten to survive. As Anko took a pause from her announcement, Midori began scoping out the competition, glad her teammates allowed her to lead the line in. While she claimed she wanted the spot since it would be appropriate for the team leader to lead the troupe in, Midori really requested the spot so she did not have to struggle to see over her towering teammates.

Starting from the left, she spotted the two familiar rookie teams with Chouji and Hinata. While she was a bit surprised that two of the three rookie teams managed to make it through the Forest of Death, Midori was completely shocked to find the loud, obnoxious ninja in the orange jumpsuit standing inches from her.

"I don't remember seeing this bumbling idiot and his squad in any of the rooms," Midori thought, assuming they must have made it only a few minutes ago judging by their tattered, disheveled appearances. "They look like they just left a battle. None of them are in any shape to fight."

Feeling confident about the competition on the left side of the room, Midori shifted her gaze over to the right side of the room. Vaguely recognizing the long, brown-haired, pale-eyed ninja standing to her left, Midori peered down the line to see if any of this ninja's teammates could jog her memory and sure enough just behind this ninja was the bug-eyed, thick browed, green spandex toting ninja Nima had been obsessing over for days.

"It's that weirdo again," Midori mumbled to herself, recalling the wound Nima received after trying to intervene in his battle and the numerous times Nima would duck her head inside the room once Rock Lee would pass the doorway. "From last I saw, he didn't seem all that powerful, but these two are still a mystery."

Moving on to the final Leaf Village squad, Midori recognized the bespectacled, grey-haired ninja as the veteran who became the target of the Sound Village ninjas attack prior to the beginning of the written exam.

"If he's taken this exam so many times already and failed every time," Midori reasoned. "Then he can't be that strong of a competitor. We might actually be alright if these are the type of people we're up against."

However, Midori's heart dropped once she caught sight of the Grass Village ninja squad they nabbed their Earth scroll from on the first day of the exam. Needless to say, they were not amused, especially since they had to recover two scrolls to replace the one that was stolen. As if their unkempt attire and scratches and bruises did not give it away, this Grass Village group was one of the teams that arrived on the final day and barely had anytime to rest. Midori only caught bits and parts of their heated discussion as she passed their room, but she was able to gather through the shouts and the punches echoing off the wall that once they found out those genin that stole their scroll, they would make them pay.

"Thankfully, they don't know it was us that took their scroll," Midori thought as a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. "As long as those two idiots back there don't open their traps and say something stupid we should be fine."

Hoping to find some sort of sanctuary in some weak-looking genin, Midori glanced at the final two teams at the far right end. However, her hopes were immediately dashed when she spotted the gourd of the red-headed Sand Village ninja Hinata's team warned them about and the hunched, mummified Sound Village ninja who injured Kabuto without even touching him.

"Calm down, Midori," Midori thought to herself, as she noticed the spectrum of genin in the room ranging from benign on the left to downright bloodthirsty on the right. "As long as whatever they have in store involves the rookies and pretty much any one of the Leaf Village genin, then we should be fine. Besides, what are the chances of us being involved with those ninja on the right?"

While at the front of the line Midori may have been focused on strategy and battle plans, her two red-headed teammates were occupied with ogling over Hinata and Rock Lee. From the back of the line, Kishu was only able to catch the back of Hinata's head, but even so, it made Kishu's heart pitter patter all the same.

However, his twin, Nima, received a much better deal in the line up since she ended up immediately to his left due to their squad rows ended up right next to each other and their position in the middle of their lines.

"He's right there!" Nima thought noting the mere inches separating them. "This is even closer than we were during the written test! So lucky!"

In her excitement, Nima failed to notice Rock Lee staring at her from the corner of his eye. He observed this smiling, fidgety girl to his left, finding it strange that their paths continually seemed to cross at every turn, be it at the written test or in the Forest of Death. There were so many questions and mysteries surrounding this kunoichi. Was she the one behind the stairwell spying on his fight with Sasuke? Why did Neji always catch her stealing glances his way? Was she the one in the Forest of Death who came down from the trees or was it an illusion?

"I still have not asked her about the green feather," Rock Lee thought, as he remembered the earring he picked up from the stairwell, sitting in his ninja pack. "These green feathers…first, on the stairwell…then, with the Sound ninja…it is certainly a mystery."

As Rock Lee continued to mull over the mystery surrounding this kunoichi, on the dais, Iko stared out onto the dais with a smile as took a long, hard look at each of her students.

"Midori, Nima, Kishu…" Iko thought warmly, as she recalled when she first met them as genin fresh out of the academy. "You guys are what's important to me…Not Koori…"

Before Iko could brood any longer on the issue, Gai leaned over and caught Iko's attention.

"Is that your team right next to my youthful stuents?" Gai whispered as he focused his attention on the row led by the aquamarine-haired kunoichi. "If you don't mind me saying, that young lady in the front seems awfully young. Are you sure she's a genin?"

Iko could not help but giggle at Gai's insinuations as Gai simply stood there in confusion, legitimately concerned about this kunoichi's rank and feeling he asked a reasonable question. Once Iko composed herself, she turned to Gai and cupped her hand to his ear to answer his question, feeling more comfortable with him the more they interacted.

"Surprisingly enough, she is a genin," Iko stated, amused as she pictured Midori's face if she could hear this conversation. "She's a bit sensitive about the whole height thing though."

"I see," Gai said, as he recalled his own student, Rock Lee's, difficulties using genjutsu and ninjutsu which nearly prevented him from becoming a ninja. After making this connection, Gai resolved that he would give this promising kunoichi some encouraging words once he got the opportunity. After spotting the squad of ninjas Rock Lee challenged prior to the beginning of the chunin exam registration, Gai turned to Kakashi as Iko observed from the side.

"Your team is pretty good," Gai began as he analyzed each of the members. "Perhaps, they were lucky. But as long as my team is here, they can't go any further. Since, in the next stage, personal abilities will be critical. Youth is sweet and sour, and sometimes, strict, Kakashi." (64)

As Gai turned his head for his response, an irritated Kakashi simply kept his eyes in front of him, planning to simply ignore him altogether. However, Kakashi caught Iko watching them from the side and felt this might be his chance to win her from him.

"Hmm, did you say something?" Kakashi asked as Gai proceeded to make a spectacle over himself after seemingly been tricked. While Gai turned around boiling over this defeat, Kakashi glanced over at Iko whom he expected to become disinterested in Gai after seeing Kakashi best him and expose his dim-witted tendencies. However, this only heightened Iko's adoration for him as she began to giggle to herself. (65)

"These two are quite amusing," Iko thought, as she reflecting on their rivalry. "I must watch one of their intense challenges I've heard of."

Back on the floor, the genin were quickly scoping out the competition and making their final assumptions about their competition before the Third Hokage spoke. Naruto simply mindlessly gazed about the room at different genin since he had pretty much ignorantly decided that none of them were a threat. However, he immediately stopped when he realized that there was an actual person standing to his right rather than just empty space. Naruto glanced down to find Midori staring straight ahead without noticing Naruto's gaze upon her.

"Man," Naruto said, noting her small height. "She's just like Konohamaru."

Unbeknownst to Midori, her height appeared to be a hot topic as she also managed to catch the attention of the pale-eyed ninja to her left as well.

"The competition is much…shorter than I imagined," Neji thought as he peered down at the top of Midori's head. "There must be more to her than simply meets the eye for her to have collected a scroll and made it all the way to the tower."

Wanting to gather more insight, Neji glanced back at her teammates to see if they could provide any more information and immediately spotted Nima.

"So this is that girl's teammate," Neji thought, recognizing the kunoichi who seemed to be stalking his fuzzy browed teammate. "She's certainly strange. Have to keep an eye on her."

From the far right of the room, the mummified Sound Village ninja also had a few questions of his own about Nima, recognizing her from his battle in the Forest of Death.

"It's that kunoichi with the wings," the ninja thought smiling under his wrappings as he noted the bandage around her right arm where his kunai made contact. "That's a very curious ability she has. I hope that flesh wound won't prevent her from whipping it out again, so I can get a better look at it."

As the Third Hokage took a step forward and cleared his throat, all the genin immediately fell silent and faced the front, waiting for the Third Hokage's announcement.

"The Third Exam will now begin," the Third Hokage announced, as the genins' muscles stiffened either in fear or anticipation or both. "But before the explanation, there's one thing I want to make clear to all of you." (66)

"Geez, not this again," Midori moaned, recalling Ibiki's sudden surprises or special conditions for the written part of the exam. "What now?"

" 'To maintain good relations with the allied nations' and 'heighten the level of the ninja'..." The Third Hokage began, as Midori eyed him suspiciously, doubtful that the information he was about to reveal was so superficial. "…Do not let those reasons deceive you. This 'exam,' so to speak, is…the epitome of war between the allied nations." (67)

As all the genin in the room stood in shock at this realization, several ninja in the room began to assault the Third Hokage with several questions. While the Hokage proceeded to answer them, Midori absorbed the information and began to reflect on herself and her team's performance in the Forest of Death and in the entire exam overall.

"So we represent the Leaf Village," Midori thought, as the Hokage discussed how the ninjas of a village reflect the dignity of the country. "What would our performance say about the Leaf Village? Me, who couldn't keep a lid on my temper…Nima, who injured herself intervening in a fight she had not business in…Kishu, who could not even hold on to his ninja pack…This path as a ninja is more than just about us as individuals…our actions effect the way others see our village…"

Before Midori could brood any longer on the large-scale implications or the Hokage could lecture any further, the red-headed Sand Village ninja with the gourd on the right side of the room spoke up.

"I don't care," he announced in a voice that made a shiver run down Midori's spine. "Tell us the details of this life or death exam." (68)

"Then, I will now begin the explanation of the Third Exam," The Third Hokage stated, glad someone finally put an end to this queston and answer period. "But…." (69)

Suddenly, a ninja jumped down from the ceiling and kneeled before the Third Hokage, much to the genins' surprise.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama," this mysterious ninja spoke. "I, Gekkou Hayate, the judge, will explain." (70)

As the Hokage encouraged him to do so, this strange ninja turned to the group of curious genin behind him. The genin noted that he was a Leaf Village ninja due to his ninja headband bandana and his jonin jacket. His dark brown hair jutted out from his bandana to about the bottom of his chin as he stared out to the genin with dark circles under his eyes and sunked cheek bones.

"Everyone, it's nice to meet you," Hayate coughed. "Everyone, before the Third Exam…There's something I want you to do…" (71)

Before Hayate could finish, he suddenly experienced a huge coughing fit, startling the young genin.

"What's with this guy?" Midori thought, suspicious of this sickly ninja. "Is he for real? How can be he a ninja if he always about ready to hack out a lung? He should be in the hospital, not the battlefield."

As Hayate finally recovered himself, he continued his announcement.

"Uh," he began, rather absent-mindedly. "We have to have a preliminary exam before we can move on to the real one." (72)

As it soon sunk in that they had not even reached the final part of the chunin exam, several outbursts erupted from the genin in the rows asking why they could not just move on to the final part.

"Well you see," Hayate responded. "The first and second exams might have been too easy. The fact is we never expected so many of you to still be here. According to the rules of the chunin exams, a preliminary round can be held at any stage in order to reduce the number of candidates remaining." (73)

"Too easy?!" Midori thought, as she recalled the stress of the written exam and the effort it took to get through the Forest of Death. "Is he out of his mind?! So we have to suffer for having good competition this year?!"

However, Midori could not help but be somewhat glad that this would reduce the number of candidates. She hoped it might drop a few of the genin on the left side of the room and lightening the competition and bloodlust in the room. As Hayate experienced another spasm of coughs, everyone in the room impatiently waited for his final announcement before beginning the preliminary rounds of one-on-one sudden death matches. Once he composed himself, he gave any of the genin one last opportunity to bow out of the exam at this time.

"What a ridiculous question to ask," Midori mused, despite the fact that she considered the option as well. "Like anyone is going to quit after getting this far."

Already committed to remain in the exam, Nima and Kishu simply stood smiling and waiting for the Hayate to continue with the preliminary rounds. However, both noticed a small quarrel occurring between Sakura and Sasuke to their left. They were mumbling, so Kishu and Nima missed most of the conversation but they were able to catch a few words and phrases, such as "Orochimaru," "curse mark," and "drop out." Nima and Kishu glanced at each other in confusion wondering what could be the issue. No one was more confused as Nima who watched Sasuke Uchiha grip his neck in agony as she recalled the fight between him and Rock Lee prior to the chunin exam registration.

"Why does she want him out, so badly?" Nima thought. "I know he got his butt handed to him by Rock Lee, but he still has the Sharingan eyes, so…why?"

Up on the dais, Sasuke Uchiha also became a hot topic as well as the jonin contemplated what to do with him and whether they should let him continue with the exam or not. Knowing the effects of the curse mark, Anko immediately suggested they take him out, give him to the Anbu Black Ops, and lock him up before he becomes a threat to the other contestants. Iko glanced from her friend to Sasuke Uchiha out on the floor.

"Perhaps Anko is right," Iko agreed, as the Hokage turned to her. "Being one of the few survivors of the curse seal, she knows better than any of us the dangers of that forbidden jutsu. If Anko says it's dangerous, then it probably is best to take him out of the competition."

"Oh, and he's just quietly going to go along with all of this," Kakashi butted in, breaking his silence as Iko and Anko listened to him intently. "You really think so? You're forgetting, he's part of the Uchiha clan." (74)

As Iko calmy listened to his reasoning, Anko snapped and lash out at Kakashi for suggesting he stay in the competition as she explained the horrors and risk of the cursed seal and pleaded her case with the Third Hokage who took everyone's opinions into consideration. However, before he could make a definitive decision, his attention as well as that of every ninja in the room was drawn to a lone hand raised in the front row towards the right side of the room. It was the hand of the chunin exam veteran, Kabuto.

"What?!" Midori stared in shock. "He's quitting! Why…when he's so close?!"

As Hayate gave him permission to leave and Kabuto began to make his way back out the door he came in from, Kabuto was suddenly stopped by Naruto who pleaded for him to stay. Kabuto simply replied that he was not in proper shape for a battle and that he had lost hearing in his left ear and felt this would be his undoing during the preliminary rounds. At this bit of information, Nima's ears suddenly perked up as she glanced down at the bandage on her right arm.

"If Kabuto's dropping out because of a bit of hearing loss," Nima thought, reflecting on her own position in the competition. "Does this mean a small wound like mine could prove to be a handicap in the upcoming rounds?"

However, once Nima glanced at the Rock Lee standing strong and confident before her, Nima's confidence soon returned as she recalled the terrible injuries he sustained in the Forest of Death.

"No," Nima smiled. "If he is still willing to fight after all that, then I can't let a small injury like this keep me out of the competition. No way."

While Nima was occupied with her resolve to fight, Kishu continued to watch as Sasuke aggressively grabbed Sakura's hand from raising it in the air and shared a few stern words with her. Once Kishu saw the tears fall from Sakura's face as Naruto began to argue with him, he felt a small hole in the pit of his stomach. Since he always looked after and protected his twin sister from their childhood all the way to the time they became genin, it irked Kishu to see another ninja treat their teammate, especially a female, so poorly.

"Geez, man," Kishu said as Sasuke turned he attention to him. "That's low…making a girl cry."

"Kishu!" Midori snapped as she gave him a striking glare and then transformed her face into the sweetest smile she could muster as she turned to face Sasuke, finally putting the childish features she loathed to good use. "Please disregard him, Mister Sasuke Uchiha. He…banged his head in the Forest, so he's been out of it for the passed couple days, he doesn't know what he's saying. Hahahaha…"

Sasuke stared at Kishu and Midori for a moment and then turned his back to focus on Naruto, deciding these strangers were not worth his breath. Midori's eye brow began to twitch in annoyance, irritated by having to humiliate herself over Kishu's stupidity and the indignant look Sasuke Uchiha.

"What a jerk! I can't believe those two girls were fighting over him earlier!" Midori fumed, as she recalled his pink-haired kunoichi and the blonde-haired kunoichi's spat prior to the written exam. Yet, despite her frustration, Midori was relieved to know that this Uchiha genin had not taken it personally enough to hold a grudge against them for future matches to come.

Kishu obeyed his team leader, despite still wanting to give Sasuke a piece of his mind. Kishu figured he might be paired up against Sasuke later in the final round and that would be the time to let out his frustration.

As if became clear that no other genin were about to step forward, the Third Hokage informed the surrounding jonin and chunin that he would allow Sasuke to remain in the competition and would intervene if the curse mark got out of hand, despite Anko's protests. Hayate resumed his speech as he gave the details about the final one-on-one matches that were about to commence and the basic rules that the winner would advance and the loser would not advance to the final round. Hayate emphasized the fatal aspects of the battles as he suggested that those who are losing to forfeit the match and his ability to interevene and stop one of the matches if he felt it was hopeless in order to save as many lives as possible.

"Well that's comforting," Midori thought sarcastically. "So once you think your gonna die just quit. Alright, Mr. Proctor."

Suddenly, a panel opened up on the wall behind the hand statue and Hayate explained that two genin's names chosen at random would appear on the screen, pairing them up to fight. Everyone waited anxiously as the panel began to choose the first two genin to fight.

"Not me first, not me first…!" Midori thought as she shut her eyes, unable to stand staring at the screen.

"Please let me be first, please let me be first…!" Nima and Kishu chanted to themselves from behind Midori, itching to prove their skills after having come so far.

To Midori's relief and Nima and Kishu's frustration, the first two names that showed up on the screen were Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado. Hayate proceeded to call both competitiors forward to fight and instructed the rest of the genin to mount the stairs and observe from the balcony until their names were called next. All the jonin leaders stepped down from the dais and began to regroup with their genin teams and head towards the stairs. Nearly all the Leaf Village squads found themselves on the balconies on the left wall and the Kabuto's squad, along with the Grass, Sand, and Sound Village squads positioned themselves along the balconies on the right wall. Iko, Midori, Nima, and Kishu found themselves wedged between Hinata's squad with their black-haired, female sensei with blood-red eyes and Naruto's squad with their sensei, Kakashi Hatake.

Kishu's gaze drifted to the right where Hinata stood nervously waiting for the first match to commence. Watching her gentle hands ball up in front of her chest and her lips purse together as her face assumed a worried expression, Kishu desperately tried to suppress the urge to take Hinata in his arms and shield her from the dangers of the chunin exam.

"Don't worry, Hinata! If anyone comes near you, I'll be sure to take them down!" Kishu vowed, obviously forgetting that these were one-on-one matches.

Unbeknownst to Kishu, his twin, Nima, on his right keep stealing glances over to Rock Lee who was now sharing an enthuasiastic thumbs up with his sensei. However, she failed to notice any of the other genin or jonin on her right as she kept her eyes locked on Rock Lee.

"I'm so happy he made it! He's going to blow away the competition!" Nima gushed as she began to twirl her ponytail around her finger, also like her brother, seeming to forget his utter defeat at the hands of the Sound Village ninja.

While her teammates were peering to the right and left, Midori found herself transfixed by the genin on the other balcony. How daunting it was to stand only a few meters form these intimidating ninja, knowing that any one of them could be her opponent. Midori could feel her legs shake a bit under her as she clenched her fists, trying to calm herself down.

"Come on, Midori, they just started the first match. Don't start quaking right at the start!" she scolded herself, as she peered over at the spiky-blonde haired ninja gripping the balcony and staring intently out to the floor below where his teammate in blue was preparing to fight. "Besides, I don't even know for sure who my opponent is. For all I know, I might get lucky enough to have this dufus as an opponent."

Suddenly, Midori, Nima, and Kishu were broken from their train of thought as they felt two arms engulf them and pull them into a bear hug.

"Congratulations, my adorable widdle students!" Iko cooed as she managed to lift Midori off the group in an embrace and tuck her head under her chin. "I was so wowwied about you! You guys are growing up so fast!"

Midori could feel a vein throbbing from her head, noticing a theme of her squad continually picking her up and taking advantage of her height throughout the course of the exam. Kakashi observed this odd display and then, peered over at Gai as tears fell from his eyes as he spoke to his green-spandex toting student.

"Now I see the attraction," Kakashi thought to himself, finally, putting the pieces together as he compared both these obnoxious jonin leaders to his right and left.

Midori managed to wiggle free from Iko's grip as Nima and Kishu remained locked in place.

"Hmph, don't lump me in with you three," Midori mumbled, crossing her arms and glancing over to passed Hinata's team to ensure Chouji on the other side of them had not seen this embarrassing display. "Now you guys be quiet they're about to start the first match."

Proud to see Midori taking the exams so seriously, Iko smiled and released the twins. All four peered down at the match as they and several other choice ninja from the stands wondered what the mysterious Sasuke Uchiha had in store.

Footnotes/Disclaimers:

(64) - (74) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	22. Chapter 22: One, Two, Three, Go!

**Chapter 22: One, Two, Three, Go!**

As Sasuke and Yoroi's match began, it did not take long for Sasuke to find himself on the losing end of the battle as Yoroi pinned him to the group and proceeded to drain him of his chakra. Despite managing to kick Yoroi off him before he could drain him of all his chakra, Sasuke still struggled to evade several of Yoroi's attacks.

"Wow is this it?" Midori thought to herself, feeling that she had overestimated the Uchiha clan. "Is this all the Uchiha clan has left in them?"

Nima also was surprised at Sasuke's power as she recalled Sasuke revealing those notorious red eyes of the Uchiha clan during his battle with Rock Lee. While she did witness Rock Lee beat the tar out of him, Nima did not think that Sasuke would be this weak.

"That kid's from the Uchiha clan, right, Iko-sensei?" Kishu asked turning to Iko. "Why doesn't he just use his Sharingan eyes?"

"Perhaps, he's waiting for the perfect opportunitiy to use it," Iko lied, knowing full well the true reason was because he could not risk activating the cursed seal. Iko watched the boy struggle below, recalling Anko's battle with her own curse mark.

"Well, he better think of another strategy fast," Midori chimed in, adding her two cents. "Because the way this match is going, Sasuke will be so low on chakra he won't be able to call out the Sharingan eye."

As all hope seemed lost and everyone in the room had Sasuke pegged as the loser of the match, a familiar loud voice from the ninja in the orange jumpsuit called from the balcony.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, as Sasuke and Iko's team turned their attention to him. "Come on, man, what was that?! And you call yourself an Uchiha! You're gonna let this goon walk all over you! Come on, stop messing around and get it in gear!" (75)

Nima watched as Sasuke gave Naruto a glare and then quickly glanced over to Rock who was standing alongside Naruto, intensely observing the fight. Sasuke's suddenly changed to one of shock as though he suddenly had an epiphany. Yoroi quickly began to rush at Sasuke with his hand glowing blue and white, ready to steal more of his chakra as Sasuke staggered backwards out of the reach of Yoroi's hand.

"He's done for," Midori stated flatly, as Naruto spun around, recognizing the miniature kunoichi from the line up. "He may be an Uchiha, but that's doesn't mean he's invincible."

"And just who do you think you are, shorty?!" Naruto exclaimed as he raised a fist to her. Hearing someone so blatantly point out her rather stunted features, especially a rookie, Midori immediately squared up against him and grabbed him by the cuff of his white collar.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you!" Midori snapped as Kakashi and Iko simply watched in amusement as their two hot-headed students began to argue. "You, clueless, loud, abrasive…!"

Before Midori could continue with her string of demeaning adjectives, Nima tugged on Midori's long, red sleeve. Irritated at having her teammate interrupt her during such a heated argument; Midori angrily swung her head around to face her insolent teammate.

"What?!" Midori snapped as she nearly ran into Nima's arm's which was now pointing down to the match. Midori followed the finger to where Nima was indicating, wondering what was so important that Nima tried to grab her attention. After realizing what Nima was so insistent about, Midori released Naruto's collar and gripped the balcony with one hand and raised the other to her glasses to ensure that she had not missed anything.

"H-he disappeared!" Midori said in shock as she glanced all around the room to see if Sasuke was hiding in some crevice or corner waiting to pounce.

"He's right under him!" Kishu exclaimed as Midori, Nima, Naruto, and Rock Lee locked their eyes on the startled Yoroi who a moment ago was all alone on the floor. Once under him, Sasuke kicked Yoroi under the chin sending him flying in the air and just as quickly reappeared behind him in mid air.

Having witnessed or taught that move before, Nima, Rock Lee, Iko, and Gai all stood with their mouths agap as they wondered how Sasuke Uchiha was able to use a move that was not even his own and had only seen once a few days before. Just as it seemed the battle was just about to turn in Sasuke's favor, everyone watched in horror as Sasuke's muscles stiffened and glowing orange marking began to creep down his leg and over the left side of his face.

"W-What is that?" Nima uttered, not recalling this jutsu or ability from Sasuke's battle with Rock Lee.

"That can't be the Sharingan, right, Midori?" Kishu asked turning to his teammate, who seemed to have all the answers.

"That's definitely not the Sharingan," Midori responded, still trying to figure out exactly what it was herself.

"This is bad," Iko thought as she gritted her teeth and glanced to Anko, Ibiki, and the Hokage who were concentrated on the far edge of the balcony, waiting for them to give her the signal to pounce. However, all of them just simply stared at Sasuke, waiting just a little longer to see what he would do and if he could wrangle in the curse seal on his own.

Just as suddenly as the markings appeared, they began to regress to his neck, much to everyone's surprise, and Sasuke continued with his attack as he hit Yoroi with a series of punches and kicks sending him careening head first into the stone floor below. As if to add insult to injury, just as Yoroi was about to make contact with the floor, Sasuke appeared above him, ready to make the final blow.

"Lion's Barrage!" Sasuke shouted as he kicked Yoroi right in the stomach, sending blood spurting out Yoroi's mouth. Then each of them fell to the ground, motionless, for a few moments, as everyone in the stands held their breath, waiting for one of the genin to stand. Suddenly, Sasuke's blue shirt began to quiver as he gradually lifted himself up to his knees, breathing heavily as he wiped the trail of blood dripping from his mouth. Hayate quickly announced the victor as Sasuke Uchiha and announced that he would advance to the finals.

"Wow," Kishu uttered in amazement. "He's really as good as people say he is."

"Yeah," Nima responded, glancing over at Rock Lee as she reasoned that if Sasuke was this powerful and Rock Lee managed to defeat him, then Rock Lee must be insanely strong.

Kakashi quickly vanished and reappeared next to Sasuke on the ground as he helped him to his feet and they began to make their way out of the room. Iko watched the boy walk away as he continued to grip his neck where the curse mark resided.

"That kid managed to suppress the curse mark from overtaking his body," Iko thought with a serious expression. "I guess that's the power of the Uchiha clan after all."

As Midori stood dumbfounded staring over the balcony, Naruto took this opportunity to lean down next to Midori and whisper in her ear.

"Told ya he'd win it," Naruto snickered, as Midori quckly turned her head away from him in anger, frustrated that she let this whiskered idiot prove her wrong. However, she was more concerned with the strange markings that appeared in the middle of the battle.

"What were those markings?!" Midori thought, as she racked her brain searching for an answer. "I've never seen a technique like that! Sasuke Uchiha…he's definitely one to watch out for…"

After Sasuke and Kakashi finally left the building, Hayate called everyone's attention to the panel as it frantically flipped through the candidates names above the below the "vs." in the center. Finally, it halted and the screen read, "Zaku Abumi vs. Shino Aburame."

Immediately recognizing the name at the bottom as the tall ninja with sunglasses of the team he had done countless chores for at the tower, Kishu turned to Shino and gave him a smack on the back.

"Good luck, buddy!" Kishu smiled as Shino staggered forward a bit from the impact of the slap and seemed to have a scowl hidden under his large coal collar and sunglasses.

"Good luck!" Nima repeated with a smile.

"Uh, yeah, what they said," Midori mumbled, knowing this introverted ninja had been suspicious of them since they first met at the tower and probably did not appreciate her overzealous teammates antics right before his battle.

Staying true to his reclusive nature, Shino remained silent and simply jumped down from the balcony to face his opponent.

"Will Shino be okay?" Hinata asked quietly to her teammate.

"Yeah, he's strong," Kiba answered, as Midori studied his serious expression. "I don't want to fight him, either."

"Don't worry, Hinata! If he's on your team, then he's sure to win!" Kishu assured her, somehow linking strength to one's association with her, despite never witnessing her in battle.

"T-Thank you," Hinata stuttered, confused, but grateful for Kishu's kind words. Hearing Hinata thank him in her soft, delicate voice, Kishu immediately began to blush and he nervously scratched the back of his head.

Watching this bizarre team's strange interaction with her students, Hinata's sensei turned her red eyes towards their sensei, wondering what sort of jonin leader would be leading this unusual troupe around. Her gaze was met with a grin by Iko.

"Ain't they cute?" Iko responded cheerfully as she placed her two hands under her cheek. She quickly turned away from Iko to face the match with her student, wishing she had not caught this weird woman's attention and hoping she would not continue to chat with her.

Ignoring her squad, Midori studied the two contestants below, trying to predict a winner. Seemingly unphased by anything, Shino stood before his opponent with his hands in his pocket.

"He seems quite composed," Midori noted, failing to detect any sort of fear of anxiety from the rookie. "But then again, I can't see his face with that jacket and those sunglasses, so he could be sobbing for all I know!"

Finished with her analysis of Shino, Midori focused her attention on the Sound Village ninja standing across from him with his two arms crossing his body in two slings. Midori stared down at the sickly proctor waiting for him to call this pointless match since the victor seemed quite obvious.

"Is he seriously going to make this guy fight?" Midori thought, finding this match to be a waste of time. "I mean really, this guy can't even use his hands to conjure up any ninja hand signs. Shoot, he can't even raise his hand to forfeit! Just call the match already."

Contrary to Midori's wishes, Hayate called for the match to begin. As if echoing Midori's concerns, Shino warned the ninja to surrender before he rendered him completely unable to fight ever again. To Midori's surprise, Zaku refused and proceeded to remove his left arm from the sling and charge towards Shino.

"What?!" Midori thought, stunned. "Was this guy faking it the entire time?!"

Just as Zaku was about to strike the side of Shino's head, Shino swiftly removed his right hand from his pocket and blocked the punch without even flinching. While Kiba, Hinata, Nima, and Kishu heaved a sigh of relief, Midori still remained on edge and anxious, especially with Zaku only inches from him.

"What's he doing?!" Midori said, as Nima and Kishu looked at each other in confusion. "Don't just stand there! Move!"

"What's wrong, Midori?" Kishu asked, believing she might be cheering for the wrong genin. "He blocked the attack."

"Really? I had no idea," Midori responded sarcastically, as she prepared to remind him of these Sound Village ninjas' abilities. "Don't you remember when we walked into the large room where the the written exam was held? Remember when Kabuto was attacked by the genin with the fur pelt on his back? He didn't even have to make contact to incapacitate him, so if his teammate's abilities are anything like his, then it's too dangerous for him to stand too…"

Before Midori could finish her explanation, a loud explosion shook the room and caused a giant cloud of dust to obscure Shino from their view.

"W-What happened?! What was that?!" Midori stuttered as the cloud of dust began to dissipate, showing Shino lying face down on the ground.

"That Sound Village ninja suddenly opened his hand and release an ultrasonic wave right next to Shino's ear," Rock Lee answered from the far side of the balcony, as he gripped the railing, remembering his painful encounter with the Sound Village ninja back in the Forest of Death.

Hearing the tone in Rock Lee's voice and witnessing Zaku stand with his arm outstretched right in the position Shino caught by his ear, Nima suddenly remembered these Sound Village ninja from the Forest of Death. She had been so consumed with the mummified ninja attacking Rock Lee that she vaguely remembered the other two members. Nima laid her left hand on the bandage on her right arm, remembering the feel of the metal kunai jutting from her arm only days ago, and glanced over at the hunched ninja with the fur pelt on his back that gave her this wound. The mummified ninja on the other balcony caught Nima gazing at him from the other side and smiled at her under his facial wrappings and stared at her with his beady, black eyes.

"I won't let him catch me off guard this time," Nima vowed with a determined expression on her face, as she tightened her grip on her bandage arm. "When he comes for me, I'll be ready."

From the other side of Naruto, Rock Lee noticed Nima's intense gaze at the Sound Village ninja on the other side and her favoring of her bandaged right arm. Witnessing this display only left more questions for Rock Lee to ponder about this kunoichi.

"How did she receive that wound on her arm?" Rock Lee thought, trying to piece together the events from his battle in the Forest of Death before he lost consciousness. "Was it that Sound Village ninja with the strange contraption on his arm? Does this mean it was really her coming down from the trees?...Exactly, what happened after I blacked out?"

When he came to, all he recalled was Tenten aggressively shaking him back to consciousness and Sakura praising him and thanking him for protecting her while Naruto and Sasuke were incapacitated. Having Sakura address him and say such kind words made him completely forget about his vision of the angel in the trees and his teammates never mentioned seeing anyone in the trees. Frustrated that he had put this matter off for so long, Rock Lee finally resolved to ask this kunoichi all the questions he had and get to the bottom of her numerous appearances throughout the chunin exam. However, just as Rock Lee was about to unsnap his ninja pack to return the green feather to Nima, once again he was distracted him from his goal.

"Look!" Naruto shouted as he pointed down to the arena. "Shino's getting back up!"

Rock Lee released his hand from his ninja pack and peered back down to see what Naruto was talking about. Just as Naruto said, Shino had slowly risen from the ground and was facing Zaku who simply stood there in shock, surprised this genin could still stand after his attack.

Suddenly, everyone in the room remained silent as a strange sound filled the air, almost as though something was crawling around the room. Nima and Kishu began frantically whipping their heads in all direction as the glanced down the floor of their balconies, down the nearby stairs, on the ceiling, everywhere!

"I don't see anything, do you Nima?" Kishu asked his twin as he cupped his ear trying to detect where the sound was coming from.

"Nope," Nima replied as she pressed a hand to her brow, scanning the balcony on the other wall.

"W-what are those things?" Midori stuttered, squinting her eyes to get a better look, as Nima and Kishu followed her gaze down to the floor. "Are those…bugs?"

Sure enough, just as Midori said, an army of small black bugs scurried across the floor behind Zaku, quickly advancing towards him. Once again, Shino advised Zaku to surrender while he still could as Shino explained his situation to him. Attack the bugs with his one hand and Shino would attack him. Attack him and the bugs would devour all his chakra. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation. Midori watched as Zaku clenched his left fist and his whole body began to shake, understanding this dismal position he was in.

"Why doesn't he just give up? He's clearly outmatched," Midori said, amazed the ninja was able to last as long as he did in his pitiful state. "Unless…he has another trick up his sleeve."

As if confirming her suspicions, the Sound Village ninja lifted his left arm towards Shino, leading nearly everyone in the balconies to assume the bugs would simply drain him of his chakra from behind, when suddenly his right hand slide out of his sling and aimed the silver holes in his arms towards the oncoming insect stampede. However, despite possessing an opportunity to leap away from Zaku's ultrasonic arms, Shino simply lowered his hands that been clasped in the familiar ninja hand sign for focusing chakra and stood there as Zaku prepared to make his move.

"What's the rookie doing?!" Midori exclaimed, completely dumbfounded. "There's still time to move out of the way! Why is he still standing there?! Is he just going to let himself be hit with his attack again?!"

However, Midori soon swallowed her words as everyone in the balcony gazed down at the arena in horror, as blue chakra escaped from his arms. Not from the silver holes it was supposed to be emitted from, but in all directions up and down his arm just before his wrist. Zaku screamed in pain as he glanced down at the palm of his hands, trying to determine why his jutsu failed. He stared in disbelief as he witnessed the same black bugs that were on the floor moments ago, now jammed into the silver tube down his arm. Shino quickly appeared behind him to rub salt in his wound that this had been his trump card all along. Refusing to allow himself to be beaten, Zaku spun his body around to land one last blow to this Leaf Village genin when suddenly his face met with Shino's fist, as he sent him flying back off his feet onto the floor.

As Zaku laid motionless on the floor, Hayate kneeled down to examine the damage, finding large gaping holes from the pressure of his chakra rupturing the silver piping down his arm, resulting from Shino's bug's clogging the tube. Hayate immediately declared the match over and Shino as the victor.

Midori heard Rock Lee on the far side of the balcony prodding his long, brown haired teammate who had not said a peep the entire preliminary round to check out this genin and glanced over to see exactly what this ninja would do, hoping to uncover his ability ahead of time should she be paired up with him in one of the later rounds. Midori cringed as she witnessed large, bulging veins creeped towards his eyes and his brow furrowed as he appeared to give the deadliest glare she had ever seen. She remained so transfixed by these eerie eyes that she barely heard him as he described the bugs living inside Shino. Finally breaking her gaze, Midori took her middle and index finger and proceeded to vigorously rub her temples, trying to remove the image of those throbbing veins from her mind.

"Ugh, how can he stand those things pounding right by his head like that?!" Midori grumbled as she tried to think happy thoughts of ribbons and cakes. "Creepy!"

While a troubled Midori continue her rant about the creepiness of the pale-eyed genin, Iko noticed the once vacant spot behind Naruto and Sakura become filled as Kakashi made his return to the arena. Excited to see Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura assaulted him with questions about Sasuke as he replied with very vague answers.

"Did something happen with the Sasuke Uchiha kid?" Iko thought, noticing that his normally effortless calm, cool demeanor seemed rather forced. "Did the curse mark get out of hand? What could have happened while he was away? "

Eventually, Midori's disgust with the disturbing technique she just witnessed was subdued as she glanced over to her two freckled teammates congratulating a mute Shino as he took his place to the right of Kiba and Hinata, not wanting to experience another congratulatory slap on the back from Kishu.

"That rookie…," Midori pondered as she watched this ninja's cool, calm demeanor after such a match. "…I've never seen a genin so composed before. This guy is definitely chunin material."

Suddenly, Midori glanced down at the arena to find two new competitors on the floor as Hayate prepared to give them the go ahead to battle. Realizing she became so consumed by the strange, pale-eyed ninja's ability and the bug infested genin to her right that she failed to hear Hayaate announce the next match up, Midori quickly straightened her glasses to identify the names of the two genin on the screen.

"Kankuro vs. Misumi Tsurugi?" Midori read, failing to recognize either of the names. "Doesn't ring a bell."

Midori strained to read the symbol on the purple painted ninja in black's matching black headpiece that resembled cat ears. After leaning her head over the railing, Midori made out the hourglass figure consistent with the Sand Village. Recognizing the him as a member from the menacing Sand trio from the tower, Midori glanced up at his two teammates watching him with their arms crossed from above, especially the raccoon eyed genin with the gourd on his back who was giving his teammate the same unfeeling stare he gave her, Nima, and Kishu when they first entered the tower.

"Those guys…" Midori thought as glanced over to find Akamaru whimpering and burying his face into the black fur lining Kiba's hood. "…let's see if they're as bad as these rookies say they are."

It did not take long for the first punch to be thrown as Kankuro removed a heavily wrapped object as tall as him from his back and Misumi Tsurugi, who seemed to be Sasuke's competitor's twin with the same attire, bandana, and mask hanging from his face, lunged forward with a punch Kankuro easily blocked. However, this innocent beginning soon took a turned for the worst as Misumi suddenly began to wrap his entire body tightly around Kankuro's limbs and neck, immobilizing him.

"Whoa!" Naruto marveled, amazed at the stretchy quality of Misumi. "What's up with that guy's body?! That's freaky, I wish I could do that!"

Annoyed by Naruto's ignorant comment, Midori tried to ignore him and focus on the match below when she suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

"That guy's body is like your ribbons, Midori!" Kishu smiled, as he tried to demonstrate with his own body as he gave himself a hug, reaching his hands all the way back to his shoulder blades. "The way he wraps around that guy!"

"Geez," an exasperated Midori grumbled as she closed her eyes, feeling as though she had no refuge from the two dolts on either side of her and they were missing the seriousness of the situation. "Don't these idiots know that guy has the advantage and could kill that Sand genin at any moment?"

As though confirming her assumption, Midori popped her eyes open after hearing an audible snap from the arena below and saw Kankuro's head hang limp in Misumi's arm. She glanced to Nima and Kishu who were now unusually silent as their jaws hung open staring out the the still Sand genin.

"I think he broke…his neck," Rock Lee uttered as everyone simply stared at him in disbelief, barely able to believe what he just saw. (75)

"I can't believe it's this intense already…It's only the preliminary rounds…and already someone is…dead…," Midori mumbled, as her face lost all its color and felt her legs grow weak under her, glancing over at the red-head who stared down indifferently at his deceased teammate below. "…And that kid…Kiba said they were a family, so this must be his brother…how can he stand there…watching his brother die before him and not even show a hint of emotion?!"

However, before she could succumb to her fear and panic over this realization, Midori heard a cracking sound from the arena and glanced over to find some strange flesh colored material fall from the lifeless Sand genin's face.

"I-is that…his face?!" Midori thought bewildered, as the Sand genin's head made a one hundred eighty degree turn like an owl to face the startled ninja behind him, confirming her assumption with his skin flaking off on the left side of his face, revealing an eerie, glassy eye staring blankly back at Misumi underneath. Suddenly, out of nowhere, two long, segmented arms enveloping Misumi's midsection and binding his once elastic arms at his side.

"That doesn't look like that Sand genin," Nima commented, as she compared the figure's three eyes in the formation of a triangle, wide, tousled brown hair, and dingy, tattered cloak draped around his shoulders to the Sand genin's purple face paint, the black head piece with cat ears that covered his hair, and the matching black one piece outfit with red and yellow half cirlces in the center of the outfit. Midori studied the stiff, creaking figure with its misshapen face and unusual appendages and realized Nima was right. The struggling Sand ninja was nowhere to be found.

"Where did he go?!" Midori thought, staring at the squirming masked ninja who was now in the Sand genin's shoes. "How could he have escape from his grasp?!"

On cue, the tall, concealed object that had been hanging off the Sand genin's back prior to the match and had been forgotten on the side, immediately unraveled, revealing the missing Sand ninja.

"Hey, wait," Kishu started, finding a discrepancy in the rules. "I thought these were one-on-one fights. What's going on here? That person can't be down there. Why doesn't the proctor disqualify him?"

"Because that's not a person," Midori answered, as she studied the Sand Genin's hands emit faded blue-white chakra from his fingertips. "That thing down there is a puppet."

As Kishu absorbed this exciting piece of information, the Sand genin gently tugged his hand forward, tightening his puppet's death grip on the masked ninja. The attacker had now become the attacked.

"Enough!" the masked ninja cried, hearing his own bones cracking within him. "I-I give!" (76)

Finally succumbing to the intense pain of having his ribcage and arms shattered, the masked ninja collapsed to the floor along with the strange puppet and Hayate called Kankuro as the winner of the match. Kankuro smirked, as though he knew the outcome of the battle the entire time, and swiftly transported to the balcony back with his team who seemed indifferent to the entire ordeal.

"Those guys…," Midori thought, realizing that everything Kiba said about these Sand genin was true back at the tower. "…they're definitely dangerous…and we haven't even seen what those other two can do…especially that one with the gourd…I get a back feeling about him…"

Off to the side, Naruto's jarring voice prodding his sensei about the match distracted from her train of thought.

"Two against one is unfair. Is that allowed?" Naruto asked, pointing down at the arena, as an irritated Midori watched, reminding her of her oblivious, red-headed teammate who seemed to need everything spoon fed to him. "Is it, Kakashi-sensei?" (77)

"It's not unfair, it's a doll after all," Kakashi answered, essentially repeating what Midori stated a few moments earlier. (78)

"That's the Marionette Technique," Sakura chimed in, feeling she needed to add her own two cents. "He controlled the doll with his chakra. It's merely a tool, like a shuriken." (79)

"Oh, give the girl a prize," Midori fumed sarcastically, agitated by Sakura's somewhat haughty tone in her voice, as though she made a grand discovery. "What a know it all. I can't wait to see her in the ring. If her fighting is anything like her comebacks, then it can't be anything worth mentioning."

Once Misumi had finally been carried away on the stretched by the Medical Nin, Hayate called everyone's attention to the panel for the fourth match. After a few moments of flashing white letters, the machine finally halted and Midori's face fell.

"Crap…," Midori cursed as she read the two names on the screen, hoping her eyes were playing tricks on her and she would soon wake from this nightmare.

"The next match is between…," Hayate coughed, confirming Midori's fears. "…Midori and Tojo."

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(75) - (79) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	23. Chapter 23: Midori vs Tojo

**Chapter 23: Midori vs. Tojo**

Midori read the names over and over on the screen, feeling worse and worse each time. She could feel her legs begin to shake from under her, hoping they would cease long enough for her to jump down into the arena. Midori glanced across to the other balcony and found Tojo smiling as his bald, blue-eyed sensei with thick blonde eyebrows and a goatee crinkled his forehead, revealing several deep-seated wrinkles, which appeared to be in anxiety rather than excitement and leaned over to whisper something to Tojo who seemed as though he was barely listening. In fact, he seemed rather annoyed that his sensei was even addressing him. Before Midori could dwell on the matter any further, she suddenly heard a shout to the side of her.

"Oh my gosh!" Kishu exclaimed, startling Midori, after he finally realized who his teammate was facing. "It's those guys we…"

"Shut up!" Midori snapped as she elbowed Kishu square in the sternum before he could finish his sentence. "We don't want them to know who we are right before we fight them, idiot!"

"Y-Your right," Kishu responded, rubbing his sore pectoral.

"Be careful," Nima replied as she gave her teammate a concerned expression.

"Hmm?" Iko began, unaware of her students relation to the Grass Village ninja across the way. "

"Alright," Midori stated, resolving to face her opponent head on. "Here goes nothing."

However, just as Midori mounted the railing to greet her opponent, a voice from the left side of the balcony addressed her.

"Excuse me, young lady with the ribbons!" the voice called, as Midori, Nima, Kishu, and Iko whipped their heads around to catch Gai begin to make his way towards them. Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura stared at Gai passed in front of them.

"Oh no," Kakashi thought, observintg the passionate fire in his rival's eyes. "What is he planning on doing?"

His own squad cast him a curious look, especially his beloved protégée Rock Lee.

"I wonder what Gai-sensei wants with that freckled kunoichi's squad," Rock Lee said, completely forgetting his intentions a moment ago to approach her.

"I just hope he doesn't do something to embarrass us in front of everyone," Tenten mumbled, knowing her sensei's rather obnoxious tendencies.

"I wouldn't count on it," Neji grumbled with his arms crossed, equally annoyed with his sensei's bizarre antics.

Just as Neji predicted, Gai finally stood before Midori with his legs spread and his hands on his hips as she froze in her position on the railing.

"What's with this weird guy?!" Midori thought with suspicion as she noticed the strange resemblance between this man and Rock Lee. "He looks just like that bushy browed freak! They could practically be twins! Why's he coming over here to me?!"

"Oh my gosh!" Nima uttered under her breath, also catching on to the eerie similarities as she glanced between Rock Lee and this bold character to confirm. "He looks just like Rock Lee!"

"What is this?" Iko thought, confused and excited at the same time as she recalled her conversation earlier about Midori. "What could the Beast want with one of my students? Could it be what I said earlier?"

"Your name is Midori, correct?" Gai asked as he removed his right hand from his hip to point at her.

"W-What's it to you?" Midori responded, embarrassed that she had all this attention on her while she was in such an awkward position.

"I am Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, Maito Gai," he announced, as Iko swooned in the background hearing him list his entire name and title in such a bold, confident manner. "I just wanted to offer you some encouraging words before your battle."

"What?! Is he serious?!" Midori thought, itching to get off the railing. "I don't even know him!"

"My dear, listen to my words and take heed," Gai stated as he placed one hand on her right shoulder, making it difficult for her to retain her balance on the railing. "It may be true your stature may be severely lacking when compared to the other tall, towering ninja before you, but do not allow such a hindrance to deter you from following your dreams or pursuing your goal! You are in the Springtime of your Youth and with passion and hard work, you will reign strong among the tallest!"

With that, Gai gave Midori his signature wink and thumbs up, leaving everyone speechless, as he returned to his humiliated squad, except for Rock Lee who now had a waterfall of tears streaming from his eyes over Gai's eloquent speech. As Gai crossed his hands proudly in front of his arms, pleased with the wise advice he bestowed on the young kunoichi, Naruto burst out in a hysterics of laughter as Midori's face began to turn a shade of scarlet red and her blood began to boil. She slowly turned her head towards Iko who was desperately trying to evade her gaze and stifle her own giggling.

"W-W-What he said was true, Midori," Iko stated, barely able to finish her sentence as her eyes began to tear up, which only enraged Midori even more. "G-Go get 'em, tiger!"

"I hate you all," Midori uttered as she finally leapt down from the railing.

Off to the far right, Chouji's team also managed to hear the bizarre exchange between those two with Gai's loud, booming voice echoing it all across their balcony. The blond-haired kunoichi covered her mouth and held her stomach as she took the entire situation in.

"That's Gai for ya," their black-eyed sensei with a black goatee and dark tanned skin chuckled.

"He wasn't kidding though," the pineapple ninja commented as he peered over the railing at the ribboned kunoichi trying to compose herself on the floor. "She's definitely got some height issues."

"Shikamaru!" Chouji snapped, as his blue-eyed teammate and their sensei stopped their laughter and Shikamaru turned towards his chubby teammate. "Don't say anything bad about Midori! That included you guys too, Ino and Asuma-sensei! She's a goddess!"

At this bold statement, Chouji's squad simply stared back at him in shock.

"Don't tell me," Ino said, shocked that her teammate had any other interest besides food. "You like that girl?! Do you?!"

"Absolutely," Chouji stated, as Shikamaru and Asuma's mouths dropped and Ino simply blushed in excitement. "That angel makes the most delicious, heavenly pastries I have had the pleasure of devouring! She baked those slices of strawberry cake I brought into the Forest before. She said they're waiting on a supply of strawberries and once they come in I'll be sure to pounce on the first cake they bake!"

Realizing that her fantasies of Chouji and this bespectacled kunoichi amounted to nothing more than her baking skills, a deflated Ino smacked Chouji on the shoulder.

"Geez Chouji you are hopeless!" Ino fumed as Chouji pressed his thick body up against the railing. "Is that all you every think about is food?!"

"Go Cake Lady!" Chouji bellowed with his fists raised in the air as Ino simply shook her head in dismay.

Hearing the title, the "Cake Lady," Midori glanced behind her to find the same rookie she met near the ladies room with his fists raised in the air and his face turning so red from screaming that the red swirls on his cheek were nearly indistinguishable. After accidentally making eye contact with Chouji, Midori's face immediately turned bright red, this time in happiness rather than anger, and immediately whipped her face out of Chouji's line of sight.

"It's that rookie from before!" Midori thought as her heart began to race, Chouji's three words having a more encouraging impact on her than Gai's lengthy speech. "He's rooting for me from the stands! I can't let him down!"

Iko peered past Hinata's squad to identify the bellowing voice on the far right of the balcony and found the hefty ninja who was pressed so close to the railing, she feared it would break. She glanced back at Midori on the floor below had straightened to a tall, confident stance from her humiliated, embarrassed slouch.

"Well, well, what is this?" Iko said slyly, studying the two. "She seems to be in a better mood now."

Iko then focused her attention to Nima as she tapped her on the shoulder. Nima turned around to find her sensei whispering in her ear.

"So what's this big secret you all were hiding?" Iko asked as Nima gave her a confused expression, legitimately confused as to what she was referring to. "You know. About those Grass Village ninja."

"Oh!" Nima said, recalling the argument, as she turned her back to the other balcony, so the Grass Village ninja could not hear or see her and give away Midori and filled in Iko about how Midori coordinated their positions and covered Umina's eyes and mouth with ribbon and tied her up while they stole their scroll.

"Wow," Iko thought as she glanced down at her ribbon-clad student. "Midori managed to wrangle in these two and execute this rather elaborate plan? Very impressive. I knew I wasn't wrong making her the team leader."

Everyone soon became silent as Hayate began to speak again after this long ordeal.

"Alright," Hayate began, glad to finally see a competitor appear after such a long delay. "We have one genin. Can we please have the other?"

Midori snapped her head up to find that what the proctor said was true. In her humiliation on the balcony and her daydreaming after Chouji's cheers, Midori had failed to notice that the genin she loathed to face had not even stepped down yet.

"What?! Even after all that time he's still not down here?" Midori thought, as she glanced up towards his balcony, trying to determine why Tojo had not entered the arena. "What's the holdup?"

Expecting to perhaps find the Grass genin in an odd, light-hearted situation she found herself in, Midori was shocked to find Tojo in an intense argument with his own sensei. Their faces were so close they were nearly touching as they glared each other down and whispered under their breath, certainly not exchanging any compliments or words of encouragement. After hearing Hayate call for them, Tojo broke his gaze with his bald sensei and finally leapt to the floor. As Tojo stepped closer, Midori realized just how big a height difference there was between them with Tojo towering about two feet above her.

"So they sent not only a kunoichi, but an academy student to fight me?" Tojo smirked as he glowered down at Midori. "Piece of cake."

"Hmph, don't be so sure," Midori countered, forgetting all her fears after recalling his intimidating while they were spying on his team in the Forest of Death. "I am the 'Cake Lady' after all."

Witnessing the animosity brew between these two candidates, Hayate raised both his hands in the air.

"The fourth match of the preliminary rounds will now begin!" he said.

Immediately after Hayate finished his announcement, Tojo charged towards Midori, anticipating making the first move with a kunai in his hand.

"This guy doesn't waste time!" Midori thought as she frantically reached in her ninja pack and pulled out a long stream of pink ribbon out in front of her. Seeing this fabric begin to fly in front of him, Tojo halted in his tracks and performed a series of backflips back to his original spot before they could ensnare him.

"Hey, it's those ribbons again!" Umina called from the balcony. "They're the people who stole our scroll in the Forest!"

"Dang it!" Midori cursed under her breath as she re-examined their strategy to cover her eyes to prevent Umina from identifying them, realizing she had not considered that the green ribbon wrapped around her would lead to her to assume that she was the culprit.

"So this meddlesome brat is the one who nabbed our scroll and had us running around the Forest until the last day looking for both scrolls?" Tojo smiled as Midori gulped, remembering his threat back at the tower to make those people pay. "I guess this is my lucky day. How does the saying go? 'Killing two birds with one stone?'"

"Shoot! This is bad!" Midori mumbled as she could see the fury in his eyes. "He's definitely mad! I've gotta create some distance between us."

Tojo once again charged towards Midori, but had put away his kunai. With her pink ribbon still in hand, Midori used her chakra to propel her backwards off the ground and she reached into her ninja pack to grab three shuriken, sending them careening though the openings in her ribbon straight towards Tojo. Expecting Tojo to jump backwards or evade the oncoming weapons in some way, Midori was shocked to find Tojo simply standing there with a smile on his face.

"What's he doing?!" Midori thought. "Is he going to let those shuriken just hit him?!"

Once the shuriken were two feet from him, Tojo clasped his hand in a ninja hand sign and whipped his long ponytail forward catching the shuriken. With this momentum, Tojo made a complete 360 degree turn with his body and head as the three shuriken that had disappeared, now reappeared, flying back towards Midori.

"What?!" Midori exclaimed, completely unprepared for the attack. In her panic she had not thought fast enough to defend herself with her ribbons, so Midori simply placed her hands in front of her face and placed her legs as close to her body while she remained in midair, waiting to fall back to the floor. Luckily, two of the shuriken fanned off to her left and right and the third simply grazed her right calf.

"That was close," Midori thought, glancing down at her scratched leg, the first injury of the battle, as gravity finally pulled her down to the ground. "What sort of technique is that?!"

Midori studied Tojo as he reached his hand towards his ponytail holder and began to speak.

"Did that surprise you?" Tojo grinned as he glared at Midori through his glasses with his beady, brown eyes, finally letting his long brown flow free, reaching all the way down to his thighs. "My clan's ability allows us to flow chakra from our hair follicles all the way down to the ends and utilize in battle. This happens to be my favorite technique."

"His hair?!" Midori thought, gripping her pink ribbon, as Tojo hopped lightly into the air and curled his body into a ball while his hair wrapped around his entire body, concealing himself from view. By the time he finished, Tojo was no more and in his place, was a hairy, brown ball sitting on the floor. Not wanting to be caught off guard as she was with his shuriken attack, Midori began to flow chakra through her pink ribbon and stared at the ball, preparing for whatever he had in store.

"What are you gonna do now?" Midori pondered when suddenly, the ball sprang into action and darted straight for her as bits of his pushed him off the ground. "Oh no, you don't!"

Whipping a long ream of her ribbon out in front of her, Midori made a sort of barrier between herself and the advancing sphere. Just as she had intended, the ball hit her ribbon wall and bounced back. Relieved she managed to evade his attack, Midori heaved a sigh of relief and she unraveled her ribbons allowing them to fall limp. However, she soon realized her error once she observed the hairball flying towards her once again and the indention on the wall.

"Come on!" Midori thought as she frantically tried to will her ribbon in front of her once again. However, she was too late as the orb burst through her ribbons and slammed into her chest, knocking the wind out of Midori and sending her flying backwards across the ground. She lay on the ground motionless with her eyes shut in pain.

"Get up, Midori!" Kishu called from the balcony. "Don't let him win, Midori! Fight back!"

"I know, Kishu!" Midori grumbled after catching her breath. She was just about to rise from the ground when she suddenly found Tojo on four legs glaring down at her like a wild animal only inches from her face. Midori's heart raced as she glanced to the side seeing her ribbon splayed all across the floor.

"There's no way it'll get it here in time!" Midori thought, as Tojo balled his two fists in the air and stood on his knees.

"End of the line here for you, brat!" Tojo shouted as he reeled on fist back and proceeded to force it down on his intended target, her face.

"Oh, no!" Nima gasped as she witnessed Midori's hands rise to her head, appearing as though she was attempting one last feeble attempt at defense.

All the genin including Nima and Kishu shut their eyes and held their breath waiting to hear the sound of Tojo making contact with Midori's face. However, after a few moments, this sound never came. Nima and Kishu cracked one eye open and glanced at each other.

"That a girl, Midori," Iko smiled as Nima and Kishu finally opened their eyes.

"Look!" Nima said as she pointed down towards Midori.

"W-What the?!" Tojo uttered as he glanced down at his hands to find two long, thick, aquamarine braids wrapped around his wrists, halting his punch, only about an inch or two above her face. Below him, Midori laid with her hands pressed to the root of her braids.

"Ha, guess you're not the only one who can use your hair as a weapon," Midori smirked.

"What?!" Tojo snapped as he studied his immobilized hands, detecting lines of pink within her braids. "It's those ribbons! But how?! Your pink ribbon is all the way over there!"

As Tojo glanced over to the pink ribbon strewn across the arena, Midori took this opportunity to tuck her feet under Tojo's chest and throwing him off her using her braids and feet. Once Midori released her braids from his wrists, Tojo managed to catch himself on the floor and frown at Midori, upset he let such a small kunoichi get the better of him. Midori also quickly rose to her feet and pulled her pink ribbon towards her and stared down Tojo as well.

"In case, you hadn't noticed," Midori began to explain. "I'm kind of covered in ribbons, so I can utilize several different parts of my body as a weapon."

As Kishu and Nima began to root and holler from the stands, Tojo growled and Midori felt a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.

"That was too close," Midori thought, as she stared back at Tojo, gripping her chest. "I can't take too many impacts like that. I've got to stop him from bouncing around the walls and keep him still."

"Hmph," Tojo smiled, regaining his composure, as Midori scooted back towards the wall. "So you got lucky. But let's see you try to evade that attack again!"

Just as Tojo curled back into his ball and darted towards her, Midori clasped her hands together in a ninja hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Midori shouted, catching Naruto's attention, as a clone of herself appeared to the right of her. Despite his initial excitement, Naruto soon deflated after seeing the final result.

"How lame," Naruto said as he rested his chin in his hand, recalling how he was able to produce nearly a hundred clones of himself during his battle with Mizuki. "What's she going to do with one clone?"

"Hmph, I remember when you couldn't even produce a single clone back at the academy," Sakura smirked as Naruto's heart fell, preparing to repeat another lesson from one of Iruka's lectures. "It's not always about how many clones you use, it's how you use them."

However, despite this pretentious, composed answer, Sakura's fiery inner monologue began to contradict what she just said.

"Cha! Seriously though is she only using one clone?!" Inner Sakura shouted. "If they stood on each others shoulders, they would probably only reach to about that Grass Village ninja's chin! Come on and whip another out!"

Despite Sakura's wishes, only two Midoris remained on the floor below and the ball continued to advance.

"So there's two of them now?" Tojo muttered to himself as he continued to roll through the air. "No matter. I'll just take both of them out."

At the last possible moment, both of them jumped to the side as Tojo was about to collide into the wall.

"Catch!" the original Midori called as she tossed a bit of her pink ribbon and a kunai to her clone on the other side of the ball.

"Got it!" her clone responded as they both came towards the wall with pink ribbon and stabbed a kunai through it, pinning the hair ball to the wall.

"Now I got him where I want him!" Midori smiled as she reached back into her ninja pack with her other hand that was not holding the pink ribbon to dig for another one. "Hopefully, I can wiggle my ribbon through…"

Suddenly, Midori heard her clone on the other side wince in pain and disappear in a poof of smoke. Midori's hand immediately froze as she felt the green ribbon between her fingers.

"Oh no what now?!" Midori thought frantically since the ball had obstructed her view of the other side. Midori's eyes then locked onto a patch of brown hair that began to rustle. Out of nowhere, a kunai emerged from the patch, heading straight for Midori's throat.

"Move!" Midori willed herself as she quckly leaned backwards, hoping she had properly honed her reflexes in training. Fortunately, her training had paid off as Midori watched the kunai whizz passed her face and land on the floor behind her. Midori's heart began to race as she stared the ground with the kunai jutting from it above her.

"Where in the world did that come from?!" Midori as a shiver ran down her back from her near death experience. "How can he attack in that fetal position?!"

As Midori straightened herself back up an upright standing position, she saw her kunai come loose from the ribbon, allowing the hair ball to fall to the floor.

"Confused?" a muffled voice underneath the mass of hair asked, as Midori eyed the hair ball suspiciously. "While I may not be able to move under all this, I don't have to. Not only does it provide a barrier from me and the enemy, but it also utilizes anything it picks up and attacks the enemy as well. You are done for!"

"Darn it!" Midori cursed, truly feeling she was out of options. "I can't attack him if he's always bouncing at me from the walls and when I get close to him, he just throws whatever is tangled in his hair at me. What do I do?!"

Before Midori could develop another strategy, the hair ball came to life once again and rolled towards her. Midori managed to retrieve her pink ribbon and jump over the ball.

"I have to think of something," Midori thought as the ball prepared to pounce again. "I can't just keep evading him the whole time."

However, it appeared hopeless as Midori found herself continually defending herself with her ribbons or barely managing to escape a crushing blow from Tojo who began to advance towards her at a much faster rate than before. It seemed every time he hit the wall or the balcony his attacks came faster and faster. After several missed blows on the elusive kunoichi, Tojo grew quite irritated at the short kunoichi.

"This is taking much too long," Tojo grumbled impatiently. "I'm about to end it right now!"

As he bounced from the wall just above Iko's head, Tojo willed his hair to reach into his ninja pack to retrieve a kunai, unbeknownst to Midori below who was frantically trying to dodge all his attacks. Midori stood on the floor diagonally from the oncoming ball under the balcony.

"Here he comes again," Midori said, her legs sore from scrambling around the arena and her arms getting tired of whipping her ribbon around. "I'll just jump forward and…"

Just as Midori was about to leap forward, the glint of the metal on the kunai Tojo threw from within his ball caught her eye and she instinctively jumped backwards. However, Midori soon realized the grave mistake she made as she found herself sandwiched in mid-air between the oncoming ball now only a foot away from her and the wall behind her.

"Oh no!" Midori uttered as the hairy ball collided into her chest once again and slammed her into the wall. Midori's eyes opened wide and she gasped for breath as she could feel the air being pushed out of her lungs and the wall cracking behind her from the impact. Midori slide down to the floor as Tojo bounced back to the floor and uncurled himself from his ball of hair. Midori sat there with eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling, taking long, haggard gulps of air as she tried to catch her breath. She felt herself slipping into unconsciousness as she began to see stars through the giant crack in one of her lenses.

"No…," Midori weezed, as she balled her small, blistered hands into two fists and gritted her teeth, desperately trying to fight back her tears. "…I can't lose here…not after making it so far…not after being so close…"

"Come on, Midori!" Kishu shouted from the railing with his hands cupped around his mouth.

"You can do it, Midori!" Nima yelled, following suit.

"Come on, shorty!" Naruto joined in, not wanting to be left out of the action.

"Shut up…" Midori grumbled as she mustered enough energy to glare at the three stooges. However, her brow soon unfurrowed and her eyes grew wide as she stared at her teammates' bright orange hair.

"That's it!" Midori thought as she silently slipped her hand back into her ninja pack, replacing her pink ribbon with something, and kept the item hidden behind her back as she brought her other hand behind her as well. "That's how I'll defeat him!"

Feeling confident about his victory, Tojo began heading for the stairs of his balcony, wearing a menacing smirk on his face.

"Am I taking this as a forfeit from you Tojo?" Hayate coughed as Tojo whipped his head around, casting a glowering look his way.

"Are you blind?!" Tojo snapped, insulted by the proctor's ignorant question. "Can't you see she's on the floor?! Call the match!"

"I'd take a second look," Hayate stated.

"What?!" Tojo snarled as he turned his head towards the wall again, surprised to find the limp kunoichi laying on the floor a few seconds ago on her feet and smirking at him.

"Hmph, is that all you got?" Midori grinned, still holding her hands behind her back. "I barely felt it."

"Yeah! Go, Midori!" her cheer squad hollered from the rafters.

"Why you little…" Tojo growled as he charged towards her, rolling into his ball in the process. "…you're just a glutton for punishment aren't you?!"

"OK, Midori, this is it," Midori thought to herself, as she tightly gripped the mystery object behind her. "This is your last chance. Don't blow it."

After her pep talk, Midori started running towards the rolling ball head on as several genin up in the stands watched in shock.

"What's she doing?!" Ino exclaimed as she stared at the short kunoichi heading towards the same ball that smashed her into the wall only moments ago. "Why is she running straight towards it?! Is she trying to get herself killed?!"

"What's that behind her back?" Shikamaru thought as he focused on her hands still hidden behind her.

Once she found herself about two feet from the oncoming ball, Midori let loose the item she had been concealing this entire time and leapt over the hair ball, feeling it brush against her back.

"Is that…a net?" Shikamaru pondered, watching Tojo rolled right into what appeared to be orange ribbon meshed together, as it flew behind Midori like a parachute.

"Yes, he fell for it!" Midori smiled as she quickly tied to the opening, keeping her hand clasped on the ribbon, and lifting her index and middle finger in the universal ninja hand sign for concentrating chakra.

"Geez, not another ribbon," Tojo grumbled as he halted his rolling ball. "Was this her big move? Ha, doesn't she know I can just…"

However, before he could finish his sentence, Tojo began to smell smoke and felt an intense heat beating down on him from all directions, as he shifted his eyes around in the darkness.

"W-What is this?" Tojo uttered as sweat began to pour down his face and he heard a distinct crackling sound. "No way…A-am I on fire?!"

Sure enough neary all the genin on the balconies watched in horror as the formerly innocent, harmless orange ribbon burst into flames and a bloodcurdling scream escaped from the hair ball which now looked more like a fire ball. Thick black smoke lifted from the roasting genin as singed, burning hair pervaded the air.

"Don't be fooled by the colors of the ribbons," Midori smiled. "They're not just for decoration. They each hold their own special abilities."

"Put it out! Put it out!" Tojo screamed still in the fetal position as he began to see the red-orange glow of the flames on the outside, too afraid to face the fire on the inside.

"Huh? What was that?" Midori said as she put her hand to her ear, taunting Tojo from the outside. "Was that an, 'I forfeit,' I heard?"

"I forfeit! I forfeit!" Tojo shrieked as he could see the flames glow brighter and brighter as more and more of his hair was scorched. "Anything you say! I forfeit! Just please put it out!"

Not about to let her guard down until her victory was certain, Midori turned to the proctor to determine if his surrender was valid as Hayate gave her a nod and prepared to announce the end of the fourth match.

"Alright, alright, quit your bawling," Midori mumbled as the flames fizzled from her orange ribbon and the once interlaced design unraveled, leaving Tojo to run frantically around the arena like a chicken with his head cut off while his hair was still on fire.

"Geez hold still," Midori snapped as she whipped out her blue ribbon from the Forest she used to clean Nima's wound and wrapped it around his head, dousing the flames while water dripped down his neck to the floor.

"Since her competitor forfeited the match," Hayate hacked with all the black smoke in the air amplifying his respiratory problems. "The winner of the match is Midori."

"Well, well, look at this," Iko smiled, peering around the room at everyone's surprised faces, as Midori collected up her orange and blue ribbons for the next competitors. "Looks like all these people who underestimated her will think twice before letting their guard down around this girl. Don't judge a book by its cover. Great job, Midori."

"I did it," Midori sighed in relief, glad the match was finally over and pleased with her performance. She glanced over to her charred, whimpering competitor who was being taken away by the medical ninja on the stretcher. Tojo was nearly completely covered in soot form the black smoke and his once long, brown, wild locks reaching down to his thighs were now black, singed tufts that barely touched his shoulders, growing shorter by the second as more and more bits of hair fell to the ground everytime he moved. Midori caught one of the medical nin state that since he was completely enveloped in his hair during the fire and she extinguished the flames in time, Tojo received only minor injuries and would be treated at the hospital for shock and smoke inhalation.

"Way to go, Midori!" Kishu and Nima cheered in unison as Midori made her way towards them from the stairs on the right side of the balcony. Despite her annoyance with her loud, hyper team, Midori could not wait to finally reach her them as she noticed everyone on the balcony staring at her. She kept her eyes locked to the floor, avoiding everyone's gaze until she was just about to pass the first squad of genin.

"Midori!" Chouji shouted as she began to blush, hearing Chouji call her name for the first time. "You were amazing out there!"

"O-Oh, that? T-That was nothing," Midori stuttered, as she fidgeted with her glasses, trying to come off as cool and calm when she was about ready to burst from happiness on the inside.

"Don't be so modest!" Ino chimed in gently nudging her on the arm. "You had all of us on the edge of our seats!"

Suddenly, Chouji slipped his arm around Midori's shoulders, which turned stiff to the touch, and cupped his hand around her ear.

"Don't let her fool you," Chouji whispered. "Ino, Shikamaru, and Asuma-sensei had you pegged as the loser from the very beginning."

"Oh my gosh!" Midori thought, not listening whatsoever to Chouji, as her cheeks grew warmer. "His hands are on my shoulder…he's so close to me I can feel his breath on my ear…Kya!"

"Hey," Ino said, leaning in close to try and hear. "What exactly are you telling her?"

"But I knew better!," Chouji proclaimed aloud as he placed his hands on his hips and standing tall and proud, startling Ino. "I had your back the entire time!"

"What are you talking about?!" Ino exclaimed, confused.

"T-Thank you very much!" Midori bowed quickly, as her face turned as red as the swirls on Chouji's face, and continued walking.

"Oh?" Ino said slyly, noticing the kunoichi's scarlet face and bizarre behavior, as she elbowed Shikamaru in the arm. "Did you see that, Shikamaru? Huh, did you see that?"

"Don't get me involved," Shikamaru responded lazily, not wanting to be roped into any relationship drama, especially one involving his best friend.

"See what?" Chouji asked, glancing back and forth at Ino and Shikamaru.

"Nothing, nothing," Ino said cheerfully as she waved her hand nonchalantly. "She's a nice girl is all."

"So this is my squad, huh?" Asuma mused as he watched the laidback Shikamaru, the oblivious Chouji, and giggling Ino. "It's still a wonder how they even made it though the Forest of Death. I'm sure Shikamaru had a heck of a time with those two."

As she passed Hinata's squad, Midori's face finally simmered down to a light pink.

"Geez, Midori, this is the second time!" she scolded herself. "What's the matter with you?! You can't act like that in front of your underclassmen! They'll start thinking things of me!"

Before she could reprimand herself any further for her erratic behavior, Midori suddenly halted, feeling as though she were walking right into a trap, like déjà vu. Sure enough, as Midori glanced up, she found Kishu preparing to envelop his long, lanky arms around her in a bear hug, much like he had done before and after the chunin exam.

"Midori!" Kishu exclaimed, as he leaned inwards.

"Not this time!" Midori thought, quickly backing away, as Kishu grabbed ahold of empty air. "Good, I managed to…"

However, Midori seemed to forget that she was dealing with two obnoxious teammates, as she failed to notice Nima standing right behind her with her arms also outstretched until she found her face level with Kishu.

"You did so good!" Nima gushed as she tightened her embrace around Midori's bruised ribcage.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Midori winced, remembering the two blows she received from Tojo, as she attempted to squirm out of Nima's grasp. "Come on, you can't be squeezing me like that! I just fought!"

"Ah, sorry!" Nima apologized as she gently set Midori back on her feet. "I'm just so happy for you!"

"Hmph, y'all need to worry about yourselves," Midori huffed, returning to her same grumpy, snappy self, as she rubbed her sore chest. "It's a lot different once you step into that arena. If you both don't start taking it seriously, you're toast!"

As she prepared to go into a lengthy lecture with Nima and Kishu, Midori suddenly felt a heavy hand plop down on her head. Already quite certain who it was, Midori cast a scowl upwards to confirm their identity. Just as she expected, Midori found Naruto's blonde spiky hair and whiskered face grinning down at her.

"You know for a shrimp you didn't do too bad," Naruto said, rousling her hair, as Midori stared miserably at her feet.

"Maybe I should go back to the right side of the balcony,"Midori pondered as she glanced at the weirdos around her. "At least there, I was appreciated and they were halfway normal."

Suddenly, Midori felt yet another hand rest on her shoulder. Midori slowly turned her head around, feeling this was starting to real old, real quick. As she followed the hand to the owner, Midori found it was Iko, another disturbance in her equilibrium.

"Great now what does she want?" Midori thought, expecting her to patronize her and infantilize her by speaking to her in baby language as she had done several times in the past However, Midori found her sensei wearing a rather calm, composed expression as opposed to her normal perky, mischievious demeanor.

"Wonderful work, Midori," Iko said warmly in a rather sincere, genuine tone. "You're well on your way."

"Iko-sensei…" Midori began, unaccustomed to this serious side of her mentor's personality. Suddenly, a familiar, bellowing voice from across the way shouted to her breaking Midori's train of thought, as she dreaded what this strange man from earlier would have to say.

"My youthful Midori!" Gai hollered, forming an affinity towards this young kunoichi who reminded him of his own passionate student, Rock Lee. "Did you feel the Power of Youth pulse through veins and lead you to the glorious, shiny gates of victory?"

Refusing to engage and hoping he would eventually bother someone else, Midori averted her eyes from Gai's smile and wink.

"Why is he always singling me out?!" Midori thought, disturbed by the attention this bowl-cut sensei was giving her when she had never met him before. "Is he one of those weirdos with a fetish for little girls?!"

"Did ya feel it, Midori?" Iko giggled as Midori cast her an angry stare, squashing their deep, profound moment from earlier.

"Please, let me become a chunin and get away from these people," Midori mumbled as she placed her hand in her palm, imagining participating in esteemed missions with normal, dignified ninja. "Please…for my sanity…"


	24. Chapter 24: A Beautiful Friendship

**Chapter 24: The Start of a Beautiful Friendship**

Following the match up between Midori and Tojo, the Hokage called for a brief intermission to air out the black smoke from Midori's attack, since it aggravated Hayate's respiratory issues. Covered in dust and debris from her recent battle, Midori decided this would be a good opporuntiy to make hersef a bit more presentable, as Nima tagged along, simply hoping to pass in front of Rock Lee's view. Already irritated she would be walking by Gai who would most likely flash her one of his shiny grins or bestow some golden words of wisdom, Midori rushed by the entire squad as a blushing Nima whose face seemed to grow redder the closer she came to Rock Lee, followed suit. Once this odd duo descended the stairs on the left side of the balcony and disappeared passed the ladies room door, Midori turned with her hands on her hips and halted to face Nima as Nima stared down at her miniature team leader with a confused expression.

"So exactly what's going on with you and that guy with the thick eyebrows?" Midori asked bluntly, hoping to finally put this recurring issue to bed, as a startled Nima grew red as a ripe tomato. "Are you ever going to talk to him or are you just going to turn into a goofy, bumbling idiot every time he comes within a meter to you?"

"Y-You mean Rock Lee?" Nima stuttered, disregarding Midori's insults, as she fidgeted and began making obnoxious hand gestures. "D-d-don't mind that! I-it's nothing! Hahaha…"

"Nothing?!" Midori griped, reliving the grueling, endless hours of Nima's incoherent ramblings about the strange ninja back at the tower. "That's all you've talked about for the past few days! Going on and on about how brave he is, or how strong he is! This…this…Rock Lee or whatever his name is! It's driving me nuts! Look all I'm saying is that as a squad it makes us…"

Before she could continue with her lecture, Midori heard footsteps approaching and saw the pink-haired kunoichi with blue-green eyes peek her head around the door frame.

"Um, excuse me?" Sakura asked, confused after hearing a shrill, loud voice emerging from the bathroom as she came down the hallway. "Can I come in or is this a bad time?"

"No," Midori sighed, realizing that speaking to Nima about this ninja she set her sights on would get her nowhere, as she decided to drop the issue altogether. "No, we were actually just finishing. You can come in."

Midori turned on one of the nearby sinks and began to rub the cool water on the bit of dried blood on her minor leg wound from the shuriken attack and the dust off her face as Nima quickly scampered over behind her, desperately trying to avoid Sakura's gaze and hoping she had not heard Midori utter Rock Lee's name.

"Congratulations, by the way," Sakura said, viewing herself in the mirror, as Midori turned off the sink water and stared at her in surprise. "You did so well...um, Midori, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah…and thanks," a blushing Midori mumbled, brushing the dust off her sullied red outfit, as she reevaluated her opinion of this rookie kunoichi.

"I have to admit though, I was a little worried," Sakura smiled, as she warmly gazed down at Midori, happy to see a rather innocent figure amongst the other bloodthirsty shinobi out on the balconies. "I wasn't expecting someone so young to be in the chunin exams. You're absolutely adorable!"

With this statement immediately negating the compliment a moment before, a vein bulged out of Midori's head as she cursed at herself for blindly falling for this kunoichi's flattery.

"How dare you patronize me, you bimbo!" Midori snapped as she pointed her finger in Sakura's face. "I'm a year older than you, rookie!"

Processing this sudden bit of information, Sakura simply stared back at Midori as she contemplated whether this could actually be true. However, after glancing at her two long, aquamarine braids and the pink ribbons strewn throughout her body, she convinced herself that this could not possibly be the case.

"You're too cute," Sakura giggled, placed her hand on Midori's head.

"Get your hands off me!" Midori shouted, reaching her breaking point with all the head petting from her teammates and the hyperactive, blonde ninja, as she smacked Sakura's hand away. "You know you've got a lotta nerve to…"

"You've been awful quiet over there," Sakura interrupted as she turned to a fidgeting Nima. "What's your name?"

"Hey don't ignore me!" Midori snapped, to no avail as Sakura peered straight over her head, waiting for Nima's answer.

"Nima…" Nima mumbled curtly, staring at the floor, not wanting to engage any further with her rival in love. Deep inside, she could not help but feel a strong sense of jealousy against this pink-haired kunoichi as she recalled Rock Lee's battle with the Sound Ninja in the Forest of Death and his heartfelt vow to her.

"That's a pretty name," Sakura smiled as she turned on the sink. Nima lifted her eyes to catch Sakura turn on the faucet and assume a rather solemn expression as she swiped a handful of water on her short pink locks. Nima glanced over to the mirror on the wall to see her violet eyes staring back at a tall, freckled, red-head in a plain beige shirt.

"What does she have that I don't have?" Nima thought as she glanced between her image in the mirror and Sakura, comparing the two. "Is it the eyes? The hair? The outfit? What is it?"

Before Nima could dwell upon her bodily imperfections any longer, she caught a blonde-haired kunoichi out of the corner of the mirror leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed and her bright blue eyes locked on Sakura.

"Ino!" Sakura announced, catching Midori's attention who was still fuming over her previous indiscretion.

"Ino?" Midori thought, as she glanced over, catching the blonde-haired kunoichi in a purple outfit. "Ah! Ino! It's that girl from earlier in Chouji's squad."

"You're scared, aren't you, Sakura?" Ino smirked as Sakura turned speechless, knowinig she was right. "Even Sasuke-kun was carried away. Actually, he was able to get away with minor injuries because it was him fighting. If you fight in these preliminary matches, I can't imagine what will happen. You should retire." (80)

Midori and Nima simply stood to the side as spectators, watching the exchange between these two rookie kunoichi. While Nima simply tried to understand the dynamics between these two, Midori, having observed their catfights before, could not help but grin as she saw Sakura cowering over the sink as Ino assaulted her with several witty comments.

"Pound her into the dust!" Midori grinned, happy to see Sakura put in her place, as she glanced back at Ino who was standing tall and confident. "I'm starting to like this girl. She's got a lot of spunk."

However, before Midori could relish in Sakura's submission, Sakura suddenly stood up straight and glared back at Ino's reflection in the mirror.

"Retire? Who's going to do that?" Sakura stated defiantly, much to Ino, Midori, and Nima's surprise, and walked towards the door to leave Ino with a parting message. "Actually, I can't wait for my turn." (81)

With that, Sakura exited the ladies room, leaving Ino standing in the doorway. While Nima stood stunned at Sakura's defiance, Midori simply scoffed at the entire incident.

"Hmph, all bark and no bite," Midori mumbled as she straightened her ribbons and patted down her aquamarine hair. "She's toast."

Hearing Midori's comments, Ino uncrossed her arms from the doorway and took the sink right next to her to examine her flawless features in the mirror.

"So you've got beef with her too?" Ino asked as she untied the ribbon in her hair, letting her blonde ponytail spill from her head, and posed in the mirror.

"Not really," Midori stated nonchalantly, as she wet her hands and slide them down her long, thick, aquamarine braids. "She just irks me. And I think you could mop the floor with her."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Ino smiled, running the sink water through her blonde hair as well, as Midori grinned back at her, seeing the start of a beautiful friendship. "Actually, I'm glad I caught you in here."

"Hmm?" Midori uttered confused, as Ino placed her left hand with the hair ribbon on her hip and rested her right elbow on the sink with her head propped up in her right hand.

"You know my teammate, Chouji, seems to be very interested in you," Ino grinned leaning in closer as Midori's face flushed red. "Are you interested in him?"

"W-What are you talking about?!" Midori stuttered as she frantically twisted and pulled her braid. "T-That's ridiculous. H-h-he…just enjoys my cakes."

"Is that so?" Ino smiled as Midori abruptly turned her head away, trying to hide her rosy cheeks from Ino's gaze. "Well that's a shame then. You two would make a cute couple."

Midori's face turned an even darker shade of red as she entertained this possibility. While Midori sorted out her feelings, Nima who had stood silently behind Midori this whole time simply stood in shock at her team leader's bizarre behavior. Nima was certainly privy to her teammate's flustered attitude, but this seemed different than any other time before. Usually, Midori became flustered with her and her brother out of anger, but Midori's flushed cheeks and coquettish mannerisms seemed to indicate that this behavior was not brought on by anger.

"Who is this Chouji guy?" Nima pondered as she tried to recall all the rookies' faces and match their names with the image. "Could it be? Could Midori really…?"

Before Nima could make any assumptions, Ino suddenly straightened up from the sink and quickly tied her hair back into a high ponytail. She turned her bright blue eyes on Nima.

"You're Nima, right?" Ino asked pointing at her, finally acknowledging her. "I walked right in when you were introducing yourself. Well, Nima, Midori, it's been a very interesting conversation. See you both on the balcony."

Ino waved at Nima and patted Midori on the shoulder who was still trying to compose herself before leaving the ladies room. Nima waved back sheepishly, still deciphering Midori's odd behavior and stared down at her teammate who had still not recovered.

"Is what Ino said true, Midori?" Nima asked as a shot of fear shot up Midori's spine and her face glowed even redder realizing the embarrassment and humiliation that would come if Nima's other half or her patronizing sensei ever knew the truth. She would never live it down.

"H-H-How should I know?!" Midori fumbled as she turned towards the mirror and fussed with her hair and glasses in the bathroom mirror. "We're in a chunin exam, so I don't make those sort of matters my priority! You and that lovestruck dope brother of yours could learn a thing or two from me!"

"T-That's true I suppose," Nima mumbled as she continued to give her teammate a puzzled expression, completely ignoring Midori's insult.

"I know it's true, so why even talk about it!" Midori proclaimed, frantically piecing together a strategy to throw Nima off her trail and drop the matter completely. "In fact, it's so insignificant, why bring it up ever again?!"

Suddenly, the escape Midori was desperately searching for finally arrived as the sickly procotor's voice echoed through the hall announcing that the preliminary matches would now resume.

"S-Shall we?" Midori stuttered as she proceeded to march out the bathroom with a confused, yet intrigued Nima trailing behind.

Midori and Nima quickly emerged and began climbing the flight of stairs back to their positions. Hoping the upcoming battle would distract her from thte roller coaster of emotions she experienced in the bathroom moments before and the lingering fear that Nima would spill the beans, Midori glanced up at the screen hoping the upcoming battle would snap her out of her funk. To her relief, the two opponents did manage to pique her interest and curiousity.

"Well, isn't that a coincidence," Midori thought as the names Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka glowed on the overhead screen. "I was all for Ino a moment ago, but after opening that can of worms, I don't know who I'd rather see get a beat down!"

As Midori continued contemplating who to gamble one, the two former friends simply studied each other as a mass of emotions welled up in each of them as lingering feelings of a friendship long since past began to arise.

Footnotes/Disclaimer:

(80) - (81) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	25. Chapter 25: The Endless Catfight

**Chapter 25: An Endless Catfight**

While Chouji and Shikamaru whispered to each other about the terrible odds that paired these two kunoichi together, alluding to a special bond they used to share, Midori and Nima assumed their positions alongside their squad. After weighing each of their pros and cons as well as feeling secure that Nima would not repeat the bathroom conversation that had just transpired, Midori decided the pink-haired kunoichi's overall attitude and her insolence in patronizing her upperclassmen was more unforgivable than Ino's indiscretion.

"It's high time that bimbo got what was coming to her," Midori scoffed, channeling her aggression into analyzing this match. "I'm not sure what abilities the cheeky blonde kunoichi has up her sleeve, but her opponent doesn't seem in any shape to do battle. Ino will mop the floor with her."

However, as the battle commenced and Sakura and Ino exchanged a series of lackluster kicks and half-hearted kunai and shuriken throws, Midori began to reevaluate her previous claim complimenting Ino's abilities.

"That's it?" Neji stated blankly. "That's as good as kunoichi can get in hand-to-hand combat?" (82)

"He's got a point...and this is coming from a fellow kunoichi," Midori agreed, rather embarrassed at how Sakura and Ino were representing the kunoichi population.

"It's not that they're girls you know, Neji," Tenten countered. "It's just that those two are using kid goves. It doesn't matter if you're a man or woman in battle." (83)

"That must be it!" Midori determined, regaining confidence in her initial analysis of the two kunoichis' abilities. "But if so, why in the world would they be doing that at this stage of the game? I thought they hated each other. They were practically ready to rip each others heads off in the bathroom not two seconds ago! Could this be a part of Ino's strategy?"

Suddenly, seeming to confirm Midori's suspicions, Ino swiftly gained the upperhand by landed a hard left to Sakura's stomach, leaing her momentarily stunned.

"That a girl!" Midori smiled, her faith restore in the blonde kunoichi as she witnessed her fist reeling back in preparation for a punch. "Right to the face!"

However, much to Midori's disappointment, Ino unclenched her fist at the very last moment and instead a slap echoed across the room. Not only did everyone in the crowd gasp at what had transpired, but Ino and Sakura seemed to be stunned by the situation as well.

"What?!" Midori thought, utterly perplexed, watching Ino stare down at her hand almost in fear and shame at what she had just done. "She deliberately passed up that perfect opportunity. She really is pulling her punches. But why?"

As if to perplex and confuse Midori even more over the two kunoichi's toxic relationship, Sakura suddenly regained her composure and cast a menacing glare Ino's way as she began to speak.

"Alright, listen up, Ino!" Sakura exclaimed, much to the surprise of everyone in the stands as well as Ino herself. "I'm not going to fight with you over, Sasuke, anymore!" (84)

"What did you say?!" Ino snapped, casting an equally menacing glare. (85)

"I'm not the weak, needy girl I used to be!" Sakura proclaimed. "You're not even on my radar and you're not even Sasuke's type, Ino-pig!" (86)

"Oh, it's on now," Midori smiled, realizing this stagnant cat fight was now gaining momentum. "Any sort of hesistation she had before should be gone now. There's no way Ino's letting her get away with that!"

Although Midori was certainly enjoying the caddiness building between the two, Naruto seemed quite uncomfortable and taken aback by Sakura's outburst.

"Did you hear that stuff?" Naruto mumbled. "Sakura was so mean. That's out of line isn't it? She sure made Ino mad. I've never seen her so made before." (87)

"Hmm, yes, but there's more to it than that," Kakashi stated, as Midori and Naruto listened in. "Sakura isn't the kind of person to do things like carelessly flaunt her own power or cowerlessly hurt people, but she also doesn't like Ino taking pity on her and pulling her punches." (88)

"If that's the case," Midori pondered, still trying to understand their complicated relationship. "Does this mean she doesn't want her to pull her punches out of hate and contempt for their love spat or out of respect for each other?"

Midori appeared to get her answer as Sakura and Ino proceeded to tie their headbands around their forehead, symbolizing a promise made to one another, and the tides of the battle began to turn as it became clear they would not hold back.

"Geez, took you two long enough," Midori sighed crossing her arms. "I was starting to worry that Ino might actually let that pink-haired dolt get the best of her."

However, it appeared she spoke too soon as Sakura charged Ino with two shadow clones and managed to land a clean punch that sent her flying across the room.

"Wow, that was actually pretty good," Nima thought, recalling Sakura's last battle in the Forest of Death. "It's like when she fought those three Sound ninjas. She managed to fight back even against impossible odds. Maybe that's why Rock Lee likes her so much."

Confirming her suspicions, Nima glanced over at Rock Lee to catch him intensely staring at Sakura and watching her every move. Rock Lee was not her only cheerleader as Naruto continually shouted words of encouragement over the railing.

"You're doing awesome, Sakura!" Naruto shouted with a huge grin spreading from ear to ear. "Awesome! Believe it!" (89)

"Powerful strikes using chakra," Kakashi said. "Top notch for a rookie." (90)

"Well, this is quite a surprise," Iko smiled, as she peered down at the pink-haired kunoichi. "I certainly misjudged those students of yours Kakashi. First, Sasuke and now Sakura. I'm intrigued to see how this energetic blonde of yours fights and if he'll keep the streak going."

"You better believe I will!" Naruto smiled, raising a fist to the air as he gushed over the attention and praise he was receiving from this jonin.

"I wouldn't count on it," Kakashi stated bluntly, much to Naruto's chagrin and Iko's amusement, realizing Naruto would negate any brownie points he might have received from Iko over Sakura and Sasuke's abilities. "Naruto's a bit…different from those two."

"I wouldn't be so sure Sakura has this match won," Midori chimed in, much to Iko's surprise and Naruto's irritation. "Ino's not finished yet."

As Midori predicted, the blonde kunoichi dusted herself off and lunged right back into battle. In fact, it appeared Ino as well as Sakura were not going to be finished for awhile with punches and kicks still being thrown from both genin even after ten minutes. Despite her relief over Ino's comeback, Midori could not help growing bored and impatient as Sakura was no closer to defeat and Ino was no closer to victory as they had been ten minutes ago.

"Geez, I've never known a cat fight to last this long," Iko sighed, noting the endurance of these two kunoichi. "That Sasuke kid of yours must be something else to get these girls so riled up."

"He has a way of doing that," Kakashi responded, recalling the countless times Sakura would swoon over Sasuke and desperately try to grasp his attention. "If they channeled as much of their time and energy into training as they do into boys, then they would be the most ruthless kunoichi around and this match might have been half the time."

"He could say that again," Midori scowled in frustration, as Sakura and Ino simultaneously landed a punch on each other sending them flying in unison towards opposite ends of the room. "It's still not good enough. These sort of routine attacks aren't going to win the match for either of them. Gah! I can't take it anymore! One of them needs to hurry up and end this already! Ino's got to have something up her sleeve, right?!"

"This isnt how this was supposed to go!" Ino shouted, almost as exasperated with the length of the fight as much as her fellow genin and jonin in the stands. "How can you be evenly matched with me?!" (91)

"I guess you're right, Ino" Sakura retorted, amused watching Ino unravel in front of her. "You're obsession with your looks and hair can't be surpassed. I've been training too hard to worry about that stuff." (92)

"That did it!" Midori grinned, gripping the railing only a few inches away from Naruto as Ino shot Sakura the nastiest glare and pulled a kunai out of her ninja pack. "Ino's gonna let her have it!"

However, instead of throwing the kunai in a long range attack or charge Sakura for a close range strike as Midori expected, Ino proceeded to firmly gripping her long flowing ponytail and position the kunai underneath about an inch or two away from the ponytail holder.

"It's just like last time," Nima said, experiencing a déjà vu moment as she recalled Sakura's impromptu haircut in the Forest of Death and began touching her own long mane. "Is this a new trend?"

"S-She couldn't be?!" Midori muttered, completely caught off guard as the kunai moved closer and closer to her hair until finally her mane came fully detached from her head. "She did!"

"That's it!" Ino snapped, tossing the golden locks across the room until they gently fell to the floor in front of Sakura. "See, I don't need this!" (93)

"Well, I guess a shorter do is all the rage now," Iko chuckled, noting the similar lengths of the two kunoichi's hair as she flipped her relatively short shoulder length brunette hair behind her back.

"All that hair!" Midori mumbled, lamenting the loss of Ino's long, beautiful, well-kempt hair as she gripped her own two aquamarine braids dangling at the side of her head as if it were her own hair on the floor below. "Why would she do that?! Has she completely lost it or is this some sort of strategy?"

"Alright, I'll put an end to this right now!" Ino proclaimed, as she proceeded make a ninja hand sign. "Get ready to tell everyone you lost to me, Billboard Brow!" (94)

"Wait!" Shikamaru suddenly exclaimed, catching Midori's attention from across the stand as this usually calm, lethargic genin became more animated and alert. "Don't tell me she's going to…" (95)

"Could it be?!" Chouji stated with a concerned, shocked tone in his voice. (96)

"What's going on?" Midori thought as Ino proceeded to position her thumb, index, and middle fingers in the shape of a trapezoid directly in front of her facing towards Sakura. "What's Ino about to unleash?"

"I knew I recognized it!" Shikamaru proclaimed. "It's the Mind Transfer Jutsu sign!" (97)

"Oh, man," the tan gentleman with a goatee and a cigarette sitting snuggly between his lips sighed. "That fool!" (98)

"What a risky technique," Iko said, studying the surrounding environment and distance between the two kunoichi. "She must be desperate."

"Mind Transfer Jutsu?" Midori pondered, attempting to unravel the mystery behind this technique. "Is it exactly what is sounds like? Transfering your mind? How?! And why do Chouji, that pineapple head, and their sensei seemed so worried?"

"Ninja Art Mind Transfer Jutsu," Sakura began, as if answering Midori's question. "It's a jutsu that allows the user to take over their opponent's spirit and wrestle control of their body away for them for a few minutes by discharging all of their own spiritual energy and striking their enemy with it." (99)

"Too cool!" Kishu smiled, breaking his silence as her marveled at this jutsu's power. All the cat fighting that had transpired had made him rather uncomfortable since he was so unaccustomed to it given that his twin, althought hyper and spastic, was relatively even tempered and did not have any long-standing rivalries or grudges with any kunoichi that he knew of. In fact, the only kunoichi he had known to ever quarrel with his twin was their very own petite leader, but given that Nima always submitted to her wishes, much like her brother, and simply laughed it off, it had never reached the level of the two kunoichi below. "Can you imagine being inside someone else's body?!"

"So creepy!" Midori mumbled, hugging her own small frame as she imagined all the creeps with a lolita fetish that would relish in that ability, such as the strange sensei in green spandex she suspected of being one.

"But despite it's power" Sakura resumed, "there are major flaws to this formidable jutsu that is what makes it extremely dangerous. First the users discharged spiritual energy can only fly straight and it moves at a very slow speed. Second, even if the spiritual energy misses the enemy, it can't return to the user's body for several minutes and this in battles that most measured in seconds. I should add that while the spiritual energy is gone the user's body, your body Ino, can't move at all. It'll be little more than a doll." (100)

"What could Ino be thinking?!" Midori thought, absorbing all the details Sakura provided as she pressed close to the railing. "This jutsu has all sorts of holes in it! Given it's limited trajectory and slow speed, it's obviously meant for immbolized targets or those caught off guard, so why would be using it now on Sakura who can easily dodge such a move from that distance?! Especially since it's a one shot deal. If she misses, she's a sitting duck!"

"What's the matter, shorty?!" Naruto grinned, elbowing Midori in the shoulder as she tensed up at hearing her new title. "Can't believe Ino's toast?! Believe it!"

"Get your hands off me, rookie!" Midori snapped, shrugging Naruto's elbow off her shoulder as she tried to formulate a rebuttal. "Sakura hasn't won yet! Ino wouldn't use a jutsu like that given the situation she's in. It's obviously a bluff! I-I'm sure she's just tryig to throw Sakura off."

However, as if to dash Midori's rationalization and hopes, everyone in the stands gasped as Sakura proceeded to evade as Ino announced the name of her jutsu and slumped to the floor. The moment Ino hit the floor, Sakura simply stood rooted to the stop with her eyes downcast, leaving everyone in suspense, especially Midori who could not stomach losing to the obnoxious, blonde genin to her left. Unfortunately, the words that escaped Sakura's mouth as she lifted her head were not in Midori's favor.

"What an unfortunate choice…" Sakura chuckled, as she gazed upon the limp blonde kunoichi a few feet in front of her. "…Ino."

"Told ya so!" Naruto mused as Midori dreaded having to admit to defeat to this dolt.

"I can't believe it!" Midori grimaced, tightening her grip on the railing and gritting her teeth. "She let Sakura get the better of her! How could she fall for such an obvious trap?!"

It appeared that all hope was lost and Sakura would claim victory, but just as Sakura lunged forward to land the finishing blow, she was suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What's this?!" Midori inquired, leaning over the railing as she proceeded to straighten her glasses with her right hand.

"You fell for it, Sakura!" Ino grinned, lifting her head while leaving her hands pressed against the floor. "I finally caught you!" (101)

"Phew," Midori sighed, reaffirming her once shattered faith in Ino as Ino proceeded to describe her elaborate plan to trick Sakura into stepping onto the discarded hair strands in order to immobilize her and use her jutsu. "She really was bluffing. Glad I didn't have to admit defeat to that spastic idiot! I knew she wouldn't unleash that jutsu so carelessly!"

"Impressive," Iko smiled, as she followed the blue line of chakra within the trail of blonde hair. "So that was just more of a spur of the moment decision. How inventive!"

"You've gotta get out of there, Sakura!" Naruto shouted, helplessly watching Sakura struggle to break free from the blue chakra as Ino prepared for the actual attack.

"Here it comes!" Midori mused, hoping Ino hit her target this time around as she repeated the name of her jutsu. Everyone stood silent as the same scene played out again with Ino slumping to the floor and Sakura.

"That's really unfortunate," Sakura chuckled, as the smile fell from Midori's face. (102)

"Nice one, Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed, glancing over at Midori who appeared completely dumbfounded. "I told ya Sakura had this one in the bag!"

"T-There's no way!" Midori mumbled, contemplating the embarrassment of having to admit defeat to Naruto a second time. "How could she miss?! She had her right there!"

Suddenly, the mood shifted with the next words that came out of Sakura's mouth.

"Not quite," Sakura smiled, indicating the jutsu was a success and Ino was in complete control of Sakura's body, much to Midori's satisfaction and relief. (103)

"I don't get it," Naruto started, still rather slow on the uptake or what was transpiring below. "What's with Ino and with Sakura? I mean Sakura's acting really strange, don't you think? This is her chance! Do it already, Sakura! Attack!" (104)

"The Mind Transfer Jutsu worked," Kakashi stated, reaffirming Midori's confidence in Ino. "Sakura's done for." (105)

"The Mind Transfer," Rock Lee uttered in a somber tone, as Nima who could not help but feel saddened by his distraught state, peered at him over Midori's head. "Does that mean that…that Sakura has—" (106)

"Yes," Kakashi interrupted, anticipating the question he was about to ask. "I'm afraid so. Sakura's spirit has been completely taken over by Ino." (107)

"Oh no," Nima thought, feeling guilty that she had secretly shared Midori's desires in watching Sakura fail as Rock Lee's normally determined, focused expression became one of despair and concern. "I feel so ashamed."

"Perfect!" Midori mused with her hand clenched to her chest, feeling her heart pound with excitement as Kakashi explained the situation to Naruto and Rock Lee. "She's got her right where she wants her! Now she just has to make her forfeit and this match will finally be over!"

"Now, I," Ino began, using Sakura as a vessel for her words. "Sakura Haruno, would like to say that I…" (108)

Before Ino could force a withdrawal from Sakura's body and claim victory, a sudden out burst form the spiky, whiskered genin stopped her in her tracks and startled those standing around him.

"No!" Naruto bellowed, as Midori practically jumped out her skin and everyone peeked over to confirm that voice came from the loud-mouthed, obnoxious ninja they expected. "Sakura don't! You worked so hard to get here, Sakura! Don't disgrace yourself now by losing to that lame Ino girl!" (109)

"Bust out my eardrums why dontcha!" Midori snapped, irritated he prolonged the match even more and stalled what she believed to be the inevitable. "It's pointless. All Ino has to do is say 'forfeit' and it's over. You two seem to be on the same wavelength as him, but even you both must see Ino has this in the bag, right?"

"Whatever you say, Midori!" Kishu obediently replied, mindlessly agreeing with their leader since he was just simply enjoying the battle without any sway in either direction.

"Um…w-w-well…," Nima stuttered, experiencing an internal conflict of not wanting Rock Lee to catch her talking ill of the pink-haired kunoichi he adores and think poorly of her, but also, not wanting to incur the wrath of the petite firecracker next to her for not siding with her. Luckily for Nima, but unfortunately for Midori, Nima did not need to pick a side since everyone's attention was drawn back to the pink-haired kunoichi who stopped in mid-sentence and grimace as she gripped her head.

"What's wrong are you withdrawing?" the sickly proctor asked who much like the rest of those in the stands, was eager to finally call the match once Sakura proceeded to forfeit. "Well, are you or not?" (110)

"Ahhhh!" Sakura groaned as she began to answer his question. "No I won't be withdrawing! Not today or any other day!" (111)

"W-What?!" Midori muttered, stunned and rather exasperated at this long, tedious, cat-and-mouse, tug-of-war tempo battle between these two kunoichi as Ino released herself from Sakura's body. "I-I can't believe it! She was a single word from winning! I thought that technique gave her complete control of her body, so how did Sakura manage to overcome it?!"

"Hmm, I guess she wasn't as weak and compliant as you thought," Iko teased, poking the back of Midori's aquamarine head, much to her annoyance. Realizing that nearly all their chakra was depleted, both kunoichi rose for a final time to deal a punch using all the strength they had left in them. As in other exchanges before, the force of the punch sent both girls flying across the room, but instead of rising again for another strike, they simply fell unconscious to the floor.

"Since neither combatant is able to continue," Hayate announced. "By double knockout, no one gets through the fourth battle of this preliminary." (112)

While Kakashi and the cigarette toting sensei collected their fallen kunoichi from the battle below, a range of outbursts and whispers erupted in the stands as Sakura and Ino were propped up against the wall on the far right not too far from Chouji's squad.

"Hey, Ino!" Shikamaru shouted, quickly making his way to his unconscious blonde teammate with Chouji running close behind, unusual for the first due to his lazy nature and the other because of his large girth.

"I-I'm going to go check it out," Midori announced as she started jogging over with her stunted legs, partially because she had become so invested in the fight, but also, because of the certain swirly cheeked genin she witnessed waddling over there.

"I'll come with!" Nima joined, quickly out jogging Midori with her significantly longer strides. Much like Midori, her motivations for rushing over stemmed from her bushy browed hero who was now fussing over the unresponsive pink-haired kunoichi along with Naruto.

"You guys go do that!" Kishu waved as he stole a glance to his left where his raven-haired angel stood, not wanting to sacrifice the privilege of standing so close to her or lose his spot. "I'll hold down the fort!"

"So smooth, Kishu," Iko giggled, catching Kishu stealing a glance at the timid kunoichi to his right as well as noting Midori and Nima's eagerness to join the group which just happened to consist of the hefty ninja with red swirls on his cheek and Gai-sensei's mini-me each of her female students seemed to be so interested in. Even Iko turned to her left to gaze at her own Sublime Green Beast of Prey who cast a wink and thumbs up in return that brought a smile to Iko's lips. "Nothing like a life-or-death battle to bring out the love in everybody!"

Rock Lee and Naruto arrived at the scene first with Shikamaru and Chouji taking their places to the left of the them and the senseis as book ends to the line while Midori and Nima were left at the back. As with the first time they arrived at the building the chunin exam was being held, Midori's height worked against her as the line of ninja worked like a wall obscuring her view of the scene while Nima's height worked to her advantage, allowing her to see over the crowd. Given that Rock Lee's attention remained fixated on his pink-haired crush lying propped agains the wall like a damsel in distress, Nima strategically positioned herself near the center about a foot behind Rock Lee and Chouji, so she could be near Rock Lee without him growing suspicious and she could shift over to Chouji, Shikamaru, and Midori on the off chance he did.

"Kya~!" Nima cooed, drinking in every part of Rock Lee's masculine, well-toned features from the back. "He's so amazing close up!"

"Geez, not again," Midori lamented, recalling how she missed all the action at the very start of the chunin exam before the first part. "I can't see a thing! W-W-Well, I-I guess I'll just squeeze in between Chouji. N-N-No problem!"

This task was easier said than done as her heart began to beat wildly out of nerves and anxiety rather than excitement as it had during Ino and Sakura's battle. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and lifted her shaky hand to grab Chouji's attention in front of her. However, just as she was about to tap Chouji in the elbow, her heart nearly lurched out of her chest as a voice addressed her to her right.

"Um, Cake Lady?" Shikamaru inquired, trying to recall the ribbon-cad kunoichi's name as her hand darted behind her back and her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. "Or Midori I should say."

"W-What?!" Midori sputtered nervously, embarrassed she had let herself get caught in such a vulnerable position in such an erratic state.

"Uh, did you want to get closer?" Shikamaru asked, a little taken aback by her jumpy reaction as he stepped to the side for her to squeeze in.

"O-Oh, yes," Midori stuttered, desperately trying to compose herself as she took a few wobbly steps to fill the void between Chouji and him. "T-Thanks!"

"Do you think Ino will be OK?" Chouji asked, keeping his eyes locked in front of him as Midori peered over at him. "That seemed like a tough match."

"Ha, of course, she will," Midori responded confidently, feeling she needed to speak up as his upperclassman and in the hopes this would leave Chouji with a good impression of her, with both her trembling hands on her hips and her chest puffed out. "As if something like this could take her down. She's way too tough and smart to let Sakura get the best of her. That girl just got lucky."

"Sakura, no!" Rock Lee exclaimed with both his clenched fists raised. (113)

"Sakura, wake up!" Naruto yelled as though his jarring voice would magically awaken Sakura from her blackout. "Are you alright?" (114)

"Shhhh!" Kakashi scolded, hushing all the rambunctious genin who were causing a scene around the two kunoichi.

"I don't think the treatment will be necessary," Asuma stated calmly. "I think they'll just wake up after a little while." (115)

While all the genin breathed a sigh of relief, satisfied that each of the kunoichi they sided with were in a stable, safe condition, Naruto recalled the offhanded comment Midori made about Sakura and pointed his finger in her direction to begin his tirade to defend his teammate.

"Hey, shorty!" Naruto began as a vein bulged from Midori's temple, growing more and more tired of this nick name. "How dare you say Sakura was just lucky! She mopped the floor with Ino!"

"First off," Midori started tersely, trying to retain the calm, mature demeanor she had finally acquired and organize her response, so as not to humiliate herself in front of Chouji and the others by stooping to Naruto's juevenile, immature ways. "My name's not 'Shorty', it's Midori and as your upperclassman you will address me as such. Secondly, Sakura didn't mop the floor with anyone. In case you didn't hear him, the proctor called it a draw, meaning neither of them won. And thirdly, had you not suddenly shouted out like a barbarian in the middle of the match and let Ino finish her sentence, then there is no doubt in my mind Ino would be moving on to the next level of the chunin exam."

"Wait," Naruto said with a confused expression, completely tuning out Midori's well-developed argument after her first sentence as he placed his flat outstretched hand above her head as though he were taking her height measurements. "You're about as tall as Konohamaru! There's no way a shrimp like you could be older than me!"

"Naruto, you know just the right thing to say," Kakashi lamented, knowing the direction this conversation was headed as watched the ribbon-clad kunoichi's cast a menacing glare Naruto's way.

"Why you…" Midori snapped, but caught herself before she could lay into Naruto, wanting to stand behind her upperclassmen role in front of the group mostly comprised of rookies, especially Chouji. "Hmph, it's not even worth attempting to have an intelligent conversation with such a petulant child who can't even manage to counter with a worthwhile comeback, so Nima and I will be returning to our squad. Tell, Ino, she fought very well and I think she was robbed and she has a delicious pastry with her name on it back at 'The Great Konoha Bakery' on me."

"O-OK," Shikamaru and Chouji responded in unison, impressed, but a bit frightened at the same time over the sharp, biting words that escaped this seemingly innocent, benign kunoichi's mouth as Naruto began following her and pestering her along the way.

"Man," Shikamaru thought, comparing Ino and Midori's demeanors and mannerisms. "No wonder those two get along so well. They're both just as catty and scary as the other. What a drag."

As Midori and Naruto started walking farther and farther, bickering along the way, and Asuma, Chouji, and Shikamaru started leisurely walking back to their original location after ensuring Ino was in good hands, Kakashi noticed the tall, red-headed kunoichi still rooted to her spot with a goofy grin on her face as her eyes drifted towards Rock Lee's gluteus maximus. Still engrossed in staring at Sakura, Rock Lee neglected to notice her presence the entire time they had been standing around the unconscious kunoichi even after everyone had already left.

"Um, excuse me…Nima was it? Iko's student?" Kakashi said softly, trying to get her attention as she finally snapped out of her trance after hearing another sensei address her.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Nima replied with her hands locked to her side, mortified that she had been caught red-handed staring at Rock Lee's posterior. Luckily, Rock Lee had nearly blocked out any other sort of distractions and had not noticed.

"As lovely as the view is," Kakashi smiled under his mask, as the kunoichi's freckles completely blended in with her rosy cheeks and her jaw dropped. "Weren't you going to head back to with that teammate of yours? The new battle between Tenten and Temari is about to start."

"Ah, yes, thank you, sir!" Nima bowed deeply, swiveling to the side and proceeding to take a step forward after realizing was more than half way back to their squad.

However, at the same moment, hearing Kakashi mention that name of his teammate, "Tenten," snapped Rock Lee out of his revere as his whipped his head around at lightning speed around to confirm the names on the screen.

"Tenten's up next?!" Rock Lee exclaimed, as his body began to move in the same direction as Nima while his eyes were still locked on the screen. "I have to hurry back to give her some youthful words of encouragement and support before she embarks into battle!"

Unfortunately, Rock Lee failed to notice Nima a few steps in front of him until he turned his head around and crashed straight into her back, taking her down with his he faceplanted into her back and she with the floor.

"Itai…" Nima mumbled, rubbing her sore nose with one hand and picking herself off the ground with the other as she turned her head to identify who collided with her. When she turned her head, her heart skipped a beat as she found herself only an inch or two away from Rock Lee's face, staring into his deep black eyes while he hovered over her. Rock Lee recovered much quickly than Nima and quickly stood up and held out his outstretched hand towards her.

"I'm so sorry," Rock Lee bowed, as Nima's simply stared up at him in awe, just elated that he was addressing her. "I apologize for being so careless and not looking in front of me. I hope you were not hurt in the process."

"N-N-No, not at all, I'm completely fine!" Nima responded enthusiastically, ignoring her throbbing nose as she grasped his strong, firm hands, hoping he did not notice how much they were trembling while he was pulling her up. "I-It's my fault! I should have watched where I was stepping! I was in your way! Hahahahahaha!"

Rock Lee continued to stare intently at this red-headed kunoichi nervously laughing with her right hand scratching the back of her head and drifted down to her right ear missing the green feathered earring he had in his ninja pack. Now that he was face to face with the kunoichi that had plagued him since the beginning of the chunin exam, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to gather more information about her and uncover her intentions as well as discover what her role was in the Forest of Death after he blacked out.

"My name is Rock Lee," he stated, still staring intensely at her. "Might I ask what your name is?"

"A-ah, yes, my name is Nima!" Nima responded sheepishly, giving a quick bow. "P-P-Pleasure to meet you!"

"Nima," Rock Lee repeated, committing the name to memory as Nima nearly swooned back to the floor again hearing her name flow from his lips. "I've actually been meaning to speak with you since the beginning of this chunin exam."

"R-R-R-R-Really?!" Nima stuttered, staring back in wonder and surprise, as her fantasies ran wild. "W-W-W-W-W-With me?!"

"Yes," Rock Lee answered suspiciously, misinterpreting Nima's erratic, antsy behavior as someone with a secret to hide rather than someone who was simply lovestruck. "It's actually very important."

"O-O-O-OK," Nima replied cheerfully, taking a deep gulp as she began to hope that she had misinterpreted Rock Lee's feelings for Sakura and that he had actually noticed her somehow. "W-W-W-W-What did you need to talk about?"

"See, the thing is…" Rock Lee began, formulating an explanation in his head as Nima stood silently hanging on every word that escaped this dashing genin's lips. However, before he could even start explaining the situation, he spotted Gai finishing up his own exaggerated, animated pep talk with Tenten and realized the reason he was such a rush in the first place. "…I have to run. We'll have to continue this conversation at another time."

With that, he sprinted passed her to the other side of the stands, hoping to make it in time before Tenten jumped down to face her opponent. Nima simply stood staring at the floor with her head in her cheeks as a rush of emotions and thoughts swirled around her foggy brain.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Nima repeated over and over again in her head as a smile creeped upon her lips. "He spoke to me! He actually spoke to me! And he says he's going to speak with me again! And that it's really important! What could it be?! Kya~! I can't wait!"

As Nima skipped and hummed back to her teammates, drawing stares from the genin and senseis along the way, Kakashi who had watched the entire scene unfold kept his gaze hoping from Gai, Rock Lee, Iko, and Nima.

"I don't understand it," Kakashi sighed shaking his head in utter confusion as he recalled how Iko rejected his advances for his obnoxious bushy-browed rival and just witnessed her own student's infatuation with his double. "What do they see in those green spandexed lunatics? Has she not seen Sasuke? Even Naruto would be a step up. I'll have to investigate this further."

Finally, Nima reached her squad, still with a wide grin plastered to her face and a glazed look in her eye.

"Well, well," Iko said with a sly expression. "What do we have here?"

"Nima!" Kishu gushed, welcoming her back with a cozy hug, as though it had been years or decades since they'd seen each other rather than just a few minutes. "You're back! What took you so long? When Midori came back without you, I thought you got lost! And what's with that mark on your nose?!"

Normally, Kishu was much more perceptive and aware of his other half's whereabouts, but he had been distracted with the white-eyed kunoichi next to him, so he was quite curious and concerned with what happened to her in the gap of time his attention was averted.

"Great," Midori murmured, staring at her dopey, blushing teammate as she deduced what had transpired after she left. "Right after I get that spiky blonde idiot off my back another dolt shows up. Let me guess, did it have something to do with that green blur that came zipping by a short while ago?"

"W-W-W-W-Well,…" Nima began, still very excited yet too embarrassed to reveal her first personal encounter with Rock Lee to her sensei and teammates, especially since he had not revealed what he wanted to discuss with her. "I-It's nothing!"

"Did he touch you?!" Kishu exclaimed, arriving at a completely different conclusion than Midori based on the mark on his twin's nose as he clenched his fists and started wildly darting his eyes around the room trying to locate this mystery man. "Where is he?! Don't worry, Nima! I'll teach him a lesson! I'll…"

"No, No! Nothing like that!" Nima assured her heated, overly protective brother as she latched onto his arm to prevent him from beating some innocent, random genin to a pulp, especially Rock Lee, over a misunderstanding. "I ended up running into someone and hit my nose on the floor when I fell!"

"O-OK," Kishu replied slowly, still anxious not because he did not believe his sister, but because he did not see the situation occur like the last time she appeared before her group before the first part of the chunin exam with a mark on her forehead. "Are you OK?!"

"Yeah, I'm totally fine!" Nima smiled, as her brother heaved a sigh of relief and Midori simply rolled her eyes, all too familiar with the tiring dynamics between these two.

Footnotes/Disclaimers:

(82) - (115) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


	26. Chapter 26: Another One Bites the Dust

**Chapter 26: Another One Bites the Dust**

While Kakashi carried the still unconscious Sakura and Ino over his shoulder back to his squad's location and dwelled on his reignited, juevenile rivalry with Gai, the match between Tenten and Temari was about to commence as the two kunoichi stared each other down, hoping to give a more concise, intense battle than the once that had preceded them.

"Go Tenten! Alright!" Rock Lee cheered from the stands as he fist pumped both his hands in the air, feeling guilty that his encounter with Nima prevented him from giving her some personal words of encouragement and support before she entered the battle.

"Those two are beyond adorable!" Iko cooed with one of her hands resting on her right hand and the other keeping her right elbow propped up as she watched the Rock Lee and Gai's bizarre antics. Little did she know, her freckled student was also admiring the young bushy-browed genin's enthusiasm and team spirit as well, waiting anxiously for when Rock Lee would approach her again with the pressing matter he was talking with her about previously.

"So this is another genin from the Sand Village," Neji mused, ignoring his obnoxious teammate as well as his bushy-browed sensei who had now joined in on the cheering squad and enabled Rock Lee's behavior. "This should be interesting."

"I wonder if this one is just as morbid and brutal as the other one," Midori thought anxiously as she analyzed the kunoichi with four sandy-blonde pontytails below, recalling the deadly, ruthless battle between Kankuro and the extraordinarily flexible ninja before her match. "It that's the case, then that panda-bunned girl is in deep trouble. Those Sand ninja don't play games."

Before Midori could dwell any further on the match that was about to commence, she heard a groan behind her where Sakura and Ino had been placed by Kakashi on his return. Midori turned to identify which kunoichi regained consciousness and was pleased to find the blonde, feisty kunoichi gradually opening her blue eyes, waiting for them to grow accustomed to the light again.

"Ow," Ino grimaced as she rubbed her sore cheek where Sakura had landed a countless number of punches during their match and tried to pinpoint the aquamarine blob in front of her. "Midori? What happened?"

"Good morning, sunshine," Midori teased, glad to see her new friend had regained consciousness as she prepared to catch her up to speed on what she missed. "Well, both you and Sakura collapsed at the same time, so the match was deemed a draw and unfortunately, neither of you will be advancing to the next round. You weren't out for long and the match right after yours between Tenten and Temari is just about to start, so you didn't miss much."

"Ah, is that so," Ino smiled weakly, staring dejectedly at the floor as Midori searched her mind for a way to boost Ino's spirits.

"Don't look so defeated, it's not all bad," Midori stated nonchalantly with her arms crossed, as Ino looked up at her in surprise. "At least you woke up before that one to your right. I swear I was just arguing with this spiky haired dolt over here how he robbed you! If he hadn't opened his big trap, then you would definitely be moving onto the finals. No question in my mind."

"Well, glad I'm not the only one Sakura annoys the daylights out of them," Ino winked, appreciative of the fact that Midori was trying to perk her up and lift the mood. "And don't listen to that hyper twerp. He's not exactly the brightest and wouldn't know talent if it bit him."

"My sentiments exactly," Midori concurred, foreseeing the start of a beautiful friendship.

"Thanks for cheering me up, Midori," Ino smiled. "And as much as I agree that my skills far exceed the Billboard-Brow to my right, I'm glad it ended the way it did. We had a lot to get off our chest and sort out."

After seeing the nostalgic, somber expression on Ino's face, Midori determined it best not to pry into their relationship since it was none of her business and did not concern her. Whatever needed to be discussed needed to be between Ino and Sakura. It appeared such a discussion was about to transpire as Sakura released a similar groan to Ino's.

"I'll just leave those two to hash out whatever they need to hash out," Midori decided as she turned her back to the two kunoichi and focused her attention out to the match below, leaving Ino and Sakura to talk on a personal level without interference. "I need to learn more about these Sand genin and their techniques since there's already a chance I might face that creepy puppeteer in the finals. What's their deal?"

"For the fifth match," the ill proctor began as both kunoichi took a step towards each other. "Tenten, Temari. Get ready."

Just as quickly as both kunoichi took a step towards each other, Tenten immediately leapt back to create some distance between them in preparation for an attack from Temari. However, as insightful as this strategy was and as hyped it made her fanbase who erupted into loud, obnoxious cheers, it proved ineffective since about a minute passed with neither side making a move.

"They can't stand there forever," Midori griped, her nerves already frayed from the lengthy battle between Sakura and Ino before as well as the incessant shouts and cheers from the bushy-browed duo. "Someone has to make a move already!"

"Huh, guess she's waiting for me to make a move," Temari chuckled, as if answering Midori's call to action. "Big mistake, cause the first move I make will be the last one you see. Come on I don't wait this match to be over too quickly, so why don't you go first? Come on, girl, show me whatchu got!" (116)

"These Sand genin sure aren't lacking in the confidence department," Iko commented, as she glanced at the other balcony at the morose, pale, raccoon-eyed genin carrying the gourd, recalling him staring back at her in the video from the Forest of Death. "Then again, if I held the record for the making it through the Forest of Death in the shortest amount of time, then it'd inflate my ego a little bit, too"

"This chick wastes no time," Midori mumbled, as she could not help comparing the feisty personalities of her and Ino and glancing at the Sand genin clad in black with purple face paint and the eerie, emotionless one next to him. "She doesn't seem as threatening as her brothers up there, but if she's willing to boast and make those sort of claims, then her ability must pack a punch. What could it be?"

"Whatever it is, I hope that Tenten girl is alright," Nima chimed in, peering over at Rock Lee who continued to shower Tenten with cheer after cheer.

"Why do you say that?" Midori inquired curiously, following Nima's gaze until she found her answer clad in green. "Really? Besides the fact that she's that bushy-browed freak's teammate, is there any other reason you want her to win?"

"S-She's a fellow Leaf Village genin?" Nima smiled sheepishly, hoping to no avail that Midori would buy her lame excuse. "We've got to stick together right?"

"You're hopeless," Midori criticized, irritated at her teammates obsession and failure to conjure a more believable excuse. "And a terrible liar."

"I think that girl in the pink's about to make a move," Kishu interrupted, saving Nima from any more abuse from Midori.

"OK, if you insist," Tenten responded, accepting Temari's challenge. "But remember you asked for it!" (117)

Suddenly, Tenten leapt straight into the air and threw four shuriken all cascading towards Temari's head almost as if there was one for each ponytail she had jutting out from the back. Despite this dangerous weaponry heading straight for a vital part of her being, the Sand kunoichi did not even bat an eye or even move out of the way as the approached closer and closer.

"She's not moving," Kishu noted in a rather concerned tone.

"Are they going to hit her?" Nima asked Midori who she knew was much smarter and almost always had the answer to everything and was hoping would respond in the bunned kunoichi's favor.

"Geez, don't you two have any analytical or deductive skills whatsoever?" Midori sighed, as she studied the situation below. "Well, as precisely and accurately thrown those shuriken are, they should be rather simple to evade, especially if the Sand genin are as good as they appear to be, so she's probably planning to negate or counter the attack some other way. Perhaps with some shuriken or kunai?"

While Temari did manage to negate the attack as Midori predicted, it certainly was not in the manner she had expected or anticipated. The sandy-blonde haired kunoichi did not even move a muscle as the shuriken simply fell to the floor, as if by magic.

"I missed her?!" Tenten gasped, just as shocked as everyone in the stands, with the exception of her squad. "There's just no way!" (118)

"What was that, a warm-up exercise?" Temari taunted, as Tenten started to doubt her abilities. "Or maybe you're a little nervous and it affected your aim. Is that it? Drats I was hoping I'd work up a sweat, but forget that idea if that's the best you've got." (119)

"What is going on?!" Rock Lee exclaimed, perplexed by his teammate's inability to land a hit. "How could she have missed?! It is incredible!" (120)

"That had nothing to do with her aim," Midori noted, replaying Tenten's shuriken toss in her head as Rock Lee listened in and Gai reconfirmed her suspicions. "Her aim was spot on. This chick's trying to get in her head. She's a tricky one."

"Man, this is embarrassing" Shikamaru grumbled, lazily draping his arms over the railing to the right of Nima, Midori, and Kishu's squad. "Sand Village wins again." (121)

"I second that," Midori concurred, failing to see how this seemingly average kunoichi with routine weaponry attacks could go up against this mysterious Sand kunoichi's unknown abilities.

"What're you talking about?" Naruto countered, ignorant to the obvious. "The match just started." (122)

"Yeah, how do you know?" Kishu asked, not wanting to side with Naruto, just genuinely curious.

"There must be some hope for her, right?" Nima pleaded, hoping for an optimistic answer.

"It's over," Shikamaru reiterated as Midori nodded in agreement, disappointed in her teammates lack of basic observational and analytical skills. (123)

"Just let it go!" Midori snapped at the three stooges. "You're never gonna get it!"

"Give me a break! What makes you so smart?" Naruto argued, not one to back down. "Why don't you explain it to me so I can understand?" (124)

"Ah, skip it," Shikamaru suggested, not wanting expend any unnecessary energy or effort into a trivial task that was not likely to achieve the desired outcome. "If you can't see it, I'm not gonna waste my breath." (125)

Seeing as Shikamaru was out of the question, Naruto, Kishu, and Nima all turned in unison to Midori who appeared to understand Shikamaru's logic.

"Ditto," Midori stated bluntly, sharing the same sentiments as Shikamaru. "I don't know about Naruto, but for you two, you were better when you are simply commanded to do something rather than have it explained and have to exhaust any meager brain cells you have left between the two of you."

"It's obvious like he said," Chouji chimed in to emphasize Shikamaru and Midori's point. "This one's over." (126)

"Ah, I don't get it," Naruto pouted, desperately to grasp Midori, Shikamaru, and Chouji's thought process. "I really don't understand these guys at all." (127)

"Iko-sensei," Nima asked quietly, figuring she would not turn her away and give her some clarity and insight into the situation. "Is there really no hope for Tenten?"

"Well, it certainly does not look to be going in her favor," Iko answered bluntly, feeling a bit harsh as she watched Gai deflate over her solemn evaluation. "But, of course, battles are unpredictable, so she may gain the upperhand in no time, especially if she's Gai's student. You'll just have to watch and see!"

"Brilliant observation, Iko!" Gai praised, casting her another one of his signature winks and thumbs up she never grew tired of as a small pink blush arose on her cheeks, much to Kakashi's dismay. "It's as she says, my students don't give up without a fight!"

"You know you're just giving that fool false hope, right?" Kakashi whispered dryly in Iko's ear, trying to make her see the light as Gai began to perk up.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Iko smiled mischieviously with her index finger resting playfully on her bottom lip which she then tapped gently on Kakashi's nose. "You really shouldn't be so pessimistic, Kakashi."

"Ah, is that so?" Kakashi stated blankly, realizing he was not about to make any head way on this matter as he refocused his attention on Gai's student below who was measuring the distance between her and the Sand kunoichi and the Sand kunoichi who proceeded to reach the giant fan on her back.

"Is it that fan that's been blocking her attacks?" Midori pondered as Tenten prepared to launch her next attack by running around Temari in a circle. "But how? I didn't even see her take it out!"

"Alright!" Tenten shouted in mid-air, unfurling a scroll and enveloping herself in it almost like a spinning top as a variety of weaponry cascaded down towards the calm Temari. "Try this on for size!" (128)

"Wow, how can she throw all that?!" Kishu asked in pure amazement, clearly not understanding the physics behind it.

"With the momentum of her spinning, duh!" Midori answered tersely, miserably anticipating how the rest of the preliminaries would transpire. "But it's still not enough. This is essentially the same attack as before with more weaponry. If the previous attack didn't work, then this one won't either."

Just as Midori predicted, Temari simply opened her fan just enough to expose a single purple circle all the weaponry fell to floor once again.

"No way!" Tenten exclaimed, taking another blow to her confidence. "She stopped everything I threw! What has she got in that fan of hers?!" (129)

"Take a look," Temari chuckled, provoking Tenten even further. "This is the first moon. There are two more. When you see all three moons you'll know, you've lost the match." (130)

"How pretty," Nima commented, admiring the aesthetics of the fan design.

"What do those purple moons mean?" Kishu probed, kneeling down to the human encyclopedia next to him.

"How should I know?!" Midori barked, disgruntled that the towering, bumbling oaf next to her would ask such an ignorant question and that she did not have an answer. "Hmm, but if I had to guess, it probably comes down to the fan's basic function. People typically use fans by essentially catching air in the paper-like part and bringing it towards them. Therefore, the more contracted it is, then the less air you will capture, but the more expanded it is, the more air you will capture. Maybe as you open the fan more and more, the more moons you expose, so it most likely signifies the power level of the fan's attack. But if that's the case, does that mean she's attacking with wind?"

"Ah, I see," Kishu bluffed, completely not comprehending the detailed intricacies Midori just described to the fan's attack as he tried to verbalize a response that would not ignite his leader's short temper. "So more moons means more power?"

"Essentially, yes" Midori responded confidently, proud of the argument she set forth supported by her observations and deduction.

"Wow, that makes so much sense," Chouji said as he turned towards the petite, ribbon-clad kunoichi. "That was awesome, Midori! You're almost as smart as Shikamaru!"

"Oh, I-It's nothing, hahaha!" Midori laughed nervously with her arms crossed in front of her and chin up, elated that Chouji complimented her skills, but also internally contemplating the meaning behind the "almost" in his statement as she glanced at Shikamaru slothfully resting his arms on the railing, like a man lacking in any sort of motivation of inhibition for life. "Can he really mean this guy is smarter than me? T-There's no way!"

"Wow, as snippy as she is, she's actually pretty bright," Shikamaru concluded, as he deconstructed her well-developed argument in his head. "I wonder if she had that all figured out at the same time I did when Naruto was badgering me for answers earlier in the fight or if she just now made an educated guess. It seemed like she had caught on when we both agreed the match was going to the Sand genin, but she might have just said that after other dude's match and after seeing Tenten's attack fail rather than understanding the dynamics of that other kunoichi's weapon. Either way, I don't want to go up against her in the Finals. Sounds like a lot of work."

"Tenten!" Rock Lee hollered abruptly, much to Tenten's embarrassment. "Do not play your opponent's game! Maintain focus! Maintain focus!" (131)

"Don't they ever run out of steam?" Midori sighed resting her head in her right hand, shifting towards Shikamaru and Chouji as she grew tired of attempting to enlighten her fellow genin of the hopelessness of this match. "Obviously, it appears this girl's abilities are weapon-based which obviously has not worked for her the past two times she tried. She's at strike one now according to those moons of that other girl's fan, so unless she can muster up some other technique before strike three she's toast."

"That's true," Chouji agreed in amazement, continuing to draw conclusions between his best friend and this brainy kunoichi.

"Oh, no, don't say that," Shikamaru pleaded sarcarstically, too apathetic to raise the arms he was resting his chin on off the railing to feign being dramatic. "Like your sensei said, battles are unpredictable, so she may gain the upperhand at any time."

"Please, don't take what she says too seriously," Midori mumbled, humiliated that these new relatively normal genin, especially Chouji, now knew she was associated with that "airy-fairy", crazy woman and the two gawking red-heads to the right of her. "She's just as bad as those freckled dolts. I swear sometimes I think they put me in the wrong squad."

"You sound just like Ino," Chouji chuckled, recalling his vain teammate's disgusted, miserable reaction after she first heard the academy grouped her with a sloth and a glutton. "She didn't like the idea of working with us either."

"Ha, she should be so lucky," Midori scoffed with no empathy whatsoever for Ino's predicament. "At least you two are halfway normal and have some sort of common sense about you and can function as a group."

"Oh, check it out," Shikamaru yawned, slowly lifting his head as Chouji and Midori turned their attention back to the floor where Tenten had revealed two scrolls. "Midori, how much you want to bet she earns strike two?"

"Hmph," Midori huffed, immediately knowing the answer to Shikamaru's rhetorical question. "Well, those scrolls look similar to the one she pulled out before which must mean it's a summoning scroll for weaponry which as we saw before, failed miserably. Also, it wasn't until Tenten starting introducing more weapons that Temari starting revealing more moons. So it shouldn't be too long."

"She's using that already?" Gai noted surprised at his beloved kunoichi's decision. (132)

"Hmm, what is this super secret special technique?" Iko inquired coyly, already deducing what it could be based on the scroll she whipped out earlier in the match releasing the assorted weaponry.

"It's one of her best techniques," Gai answered, wearing a serious, concerned expression as Iko's heart warmed observing how much he genuinely cared for his pupils. "In fact, she was planning on saving it until later. She must be feeling the pressure if she's revealing it now." (133)

"What's with those two scrolls?" Naruto questioned, obviously failing to make the connection between these two scrolls and the previous one she unleashed earlier. "What's she planning on doing with them?"

"I don't know," Kishu responded, scratching the back of his head as Hinata giggled into her baggy sleeves, noticing the similaries between the two genin.

"Hmm, what's so funny, Hinata?" Kiba asked as Akamaru peeked out of his grey jacket, shocked to see his normally reserved, meek teammate finding some humor in the chunin exam.

"Oh, I-I-It's nothing," Hinata mumbled quietly as she frantically resumed her nervous habit of pressing her two index fingers together and sunk into her hooded jacket.

"Um, L-L-Lee, do you know what that technique is?" Nima stuttered as she mustered up the courage to initiate conversation, feeling more comfortable speaking with him after their last encounter.

"Well," Rock Lee began quizzically since he failed to get to the bottom of her involvement with him in their previous exchange, so he still felt a bit suspicious of this kunoichi's intentions and did not think it best to divulge his teammate's secrets. "I probably should not say, but you will see it soon."

"O-OK," Nima responded nervously, a bit taken aback by his standoffish response, hoping she had not offended him or misread his signals earlier.

"Rising Twin Dragons!" Tenten roared as the two dragon heads of smoke ascended towards the ceiling, circling and creating a channel between them at the same time, and dissipated revealing the two unfurled scrolls. Similarly to her preivous attack, Tenten flew through the open space and sent a hurricane double the size of her previous attack down upon Temari. Unfortunately, much like the last time, Temari cooly revealed another moon and stopped the falling sharp metals in their track with a simply flick of her fan.

"Just as expected," Midori said bluntly, gazing at all the kunai, shuriken, and other deadly weaponry strewn across the floor. "Unless, she has five times that number, then she might as well call it quites now."

"I'm not done!" Tenten proclaimed in mid-air, as though defying the inevitable, at least according to Midori, Shikamaru, and Chouji. Suddenly, the still weapons below appeared to gain new life as they all slowly rose from the ground due to the nearly invisible strings attached to every single one of them. (134)

"Impressive," Midori complimented, still skeptical of Tenten's chances of staging a comeback, but amazed at the level of control and sheer strength she must have to handle all those weapons dangling in the air. "How is she planning to attack with all those weapons?"

As if answering her question, Tenten whipped all the strings forward simultaneously, sending all the weapons careening towards Temari once again. While this display was quite flashy and unexpected, Temari did not even bat an eye lash as she revealed the final moon and deflected the weaponry away for a fourth time.

"Strike three," Midori noted as Tenten flew across the floor from the pull of all the weapons falling. "What happens now?"

Once Tenten regained her footing, Temari jumped behind her fan and swiftly closed the fan, completely vanishing almost like a magic act.

"Whoa, she disappeared?!" Naruto blurted with his left hand above his eyebrow in a sort of salute as his eyes darted about on the left side of the room. (135)

'Where's she go?!" Kishu followed, with his right hand in the same position as he scanned the right side. Then, both oblivious genin abruptly turned their heads to the opposite direction they were initially viewing and clocked noggins.

"Ow," they moaned in unison rubbing their sore heads as Iko desperately tried to stifle her laugh and Kakashi just shook his head in disbelief at these two genin's utter stupidity.

"Idiots," Midori muttered, refocusing her attention back to the floor away from the ludicrous scene next to her just as Temari reappeared behind Tenten riding her fan like a magic carpet before quickly landing. "This can't be good."

"Now it's my turn," Temari announced, taking the offensive as she drew back her fan preparing for her attack. "Wind Scythe Jutsu!" (136)

Before Tenten could even react, Temari swung her fan around entrapping her in a vicious wind current that sent her airborne.

"Tenten!" Rock Lee cried, watching the wind whip across her motionless body within the wind tunnel.

"Oh no," Nima mumbled with her hands to her mouth. "There's gotta be a way for her to get out of there, right?"

"Temari's chakra is controlling the vortex," the pale-eyed genin with long brown hair answered solemnly, studying the miniature tornado. "She fought well, but she'll never escape from that whirlwind. It's over."

"We told you," Midori stated plainly. "Even her own teammate said so."

Feeling her victim had suffered enough abuse, Temari had mercy on Tenten and released her from her wind tunnel, but not without dealing one last blast which came as she fell to the ground and practically broke her back landing on the closed fan.

"Whoa," Naruto gaped with wide blue eyes at the scene below. "That girl's really ruthless."

"You can say that again," Midori concurred in one of the rare moments she and the obnoxious, spiky blonde rookie actually agreed on something as a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. "That's two of the three Sand genin in the Finals thus far which increases the chances I may have to fight them later. Hopefully luck will be in my favor when that time comes."

"Oh, Tenten," Rock Lee lamented while gritting his teeth as Nima watched him crumble in despair over his teammate, wishing to offer him some words to restore his determined, confident spirit.

"To be able to stop every one of Tenten's attacks like that," Gai said in disbelief as a small trail of blood dribbled out the right side of her mouth. (137)

"Those Sand genin are something else," Iko thought, gazing back at the remaining Sand genin with the gourd on his back who wore the same emotionless expression when she last stole a glimpse at him. "Nima and Kishu better be one their toes if they end up having to face him or they could end up like that kunoichi below or worse. Be careful you two."

"Yep, it's another win for the Sand Village," Chouji concluded. "Just like you said it would be." (138)

"Well, of course," Shikamaru replied frankly as if Chouji missed something plainly obvious. "That's why I said it." (139)

"Hmm," Midori pondered, studying the unphased, bored expression on Shikamaru's face as he simply stared down at the completed match. "This guy is cool and all, but there seems to be more than meets the eye this one. Chouji did say I was 'almost' as smart as him and he was able to predict the demise of that kunoichi early on in the fight. Could he be hiding something underneath his lackluster, seemingly harmless exterior?"

"The winner of the fifth match, Temari" Hayate stated officially confirming the winner and end of the match. (140)

"Wait a second!" Rock Lee shouted, leaping from the balcony, much to the astonishment of the proctor below and everyone around him on the balcony, as Temari nonchalantly tossed the unconscious Tenten off her fan above the weapons strewn across the floor. At the last possible moment, Rock Lee managed to catch Tenten before she injured herself any further on the sharp, deadly weaponry below and the impact of the throw allowed them to slide away our of the perimeter of weaponry and set Tenten down on the ground. (141)

"Man, that was a close one," Kishu gulped, wiping his forehead with the back of his arm. "Phew," Midori sighed, relaxing her tense shoulders after imagining what sort of terrible, gruesome injuries Tenten might have incurred had she landed within that deadly perimeter. "He got there just in the nick of time. Geez, those Sand genin just don't know what to stop! The match is over and the girl's unconscious, so why add insult to injury by slicing and dicing her with her own attack?"

"How brave!" Nima cooed, placing both her hands under her cheek as she watched her hero save the damsel in distress just like in a cliché fairy tale.

"I would expect nothing less from the Sublime Green Beast of Prey's double," Iko grinned, glancing over at Kishu as she compared the two genin. "He almost reminds me a bit of Kishu. I can just imagine how far this situation would have escalated if that were Nima in that young kunoichi's place. He would have done more than just simply catch her and place her out of harm's way. Whoever harmed her would not have walked away unscathed."

Matching Iko's predicted course of action for Kishu, Rock Lee cast a glowering look Temari's way with his fist clenched in the air.

"What is wrong with you?!" Rock Lee shouted, as Temari simply gave him a haughty smirk in return. "She may have lost, but that is no way to treat an opponent who has done her best!" (142)

"Oh beat it!" Temari snapped, smashing the bottom of her fan down on the ground to emphasize her point. "And take that sack of garbage with you." (143)

"No, Lee!" Neji warned, already foreseeing the violent turn this conversation was about to take, even without forcing his veins out of his temples with his strange jutsu. (144)

"Leaf Hurricane!" Rock Lee shouted as Nima recognized the technique on two different occasions she had oogled him during his scuffle with Sasuke and in the Forest of Death against the Sound genin. (145)

"It's that kick again!" Nima admired, as Rock Lee spun in mid-air. "It gets better every time I see it!"

Unfortunately, Temari managed to block Rock Lee's orange leg warmer just inches from her face with her giant fan, crushing Nima's fantasy.

"Not even close," Temari smirked. "You know what? You're as dumb as you look." (146)

"What did you say?!" Rock Lee yelled gritting his teeth as he contemplated his next attack. (147)

"Guess he was more like Kishu than I thought," Iko thought as she caught Gai dash down from the balcony to calm his heated student, wondering herself whether or not she should intervene in this spat. "Thank goodness, Gai is taking care of things. I'd hate for him to be disqualified from the chunin exams for such a minor spat."

"Temari, forget them," her younger brother with the smoky eyes demanded coldly as his once feisty, arrogant sister's face turned white and meek at hearing his chilling voice. "The match is over so get up here. You won, so why are you wasting your time with that loser and his pathetic master?" (148)

"Whoa," Midori muttered, sensing her hands begin to tremble against the railing bars. "If he can wrangle in that sister of his with a single statement, then that means he's definitely bad news! I feel sorry for the poor guy who has to fight him!"

Along with Midori, nearly everyone in the stands could feel their blood run cold hearing the foreboding tone in this mystery, intimidating genin's voice, except for a certain freckled, red-head whose blood actually began to boil.

"Just who do you think you are?!" Nima blurted out unexpectedly, much to the astonishment and shock of Gai, her entire squad, the ninja on both balconies, and even herself as the genin with the gourd shot her a threatening glance. "Eep…Um…I-I-I mean…"

"A word of warning," Gai interjected assertively, saving Nima from any further embarrassment as he hoped to end this squabble quickly and defend his youthful prodigy. "You sand villagers have no idea what Lee is capable of. Remember he still hasnnt fought yet, so I'd be careful if I were you." (149)

After the lingering silence with tension you could cut with a knife, Gai assured the uncomfortable Hayate that the situation would be handled with a reassuring thumbs up and coaxed his hyped pupil back to the balcony to clear the arena for the next match.

"That kids crazy picking a fight with them!" Kiba gaped as Akamaru quivered beneath his baggy jacket, uncertain who was more insane, the spandex-clad genin with the bowl-cut who tried to kick the daylights out of the Sand kunoichi below or the fiery, red-head who intentionally provoked the ticking timb bomb he warned her squad about across the room. "Those Sand Village guys are trouble. They're the last people I'd want to go up against." (150)

"They do look almost unbeatable," Hinata whispered anxiously, breaking her usual silence as she peeked at Kishu who stood frozen staring at his twin with wide violet eyes and his jaw to the floor. "I hope they don't get into trouble or get hurt."

"Well, we did warn them," Shino stated bluntly, shielding his mouth with his massive collar as he hoped to alleviate his sensitive teammate's frayed nerves.

"Nima!" Midori scolded through clenched teeth as she grabbed Nima's gangly wrists and forced her to face her way, knowing their height difference made it less ideal for her to smack her in the head, like she wanted to. "Are you crazy?! What in the world were you thinking provoking them like that?! Especially that weirdo with the gourd!"

"W-W-Well, i-it's like this you see," Nima gulped, more embarrassed that she made such a scene and lost her temper in front of Rock Lee rather than mortified at the enemies she had likely made of the Sand genin at the opposite balcony, breaking her hand free from Midori's grasp to wag her finger in the air as if the answer would magically descend from the sky. "A-As fellow Leaf genin we should defend out fellow peers and…"

"Quit with the lame excuses already!" Midori snapped with her fist clenched using the hand that was initially holding Nima's wrist, re-evaluating whether it would be worth it to humiliate herself by jumping the extra one or two feet to clock her right in the noggin. "That little stunt you just pulled right there just put a huge target on not only your back, but on Kishu and I as well from those Sand ninja and probably everyone else in this room! Don't you get that you thoughtlessly put yourself and the rest of the team in danger?! Tell her, Kishu! You're her twin for goodness sake!"

While Midori's lecture to Nima on carelessly putting herself in harm's way did achieve its intended goal of igniting Kishu's protective, brotherly instincts, Kishu remained speechless, not because he did not want to address the problem, but because he could not find the right words. Given their naturally intimate, tight bonds as twins, Kishu never had an issue reading his sister or understanding her feelings or thoughts. However, since the start of the chunin exam, Kishu found it harder and harder to connect with her. After Nima's sudden outburst that was totally out of character for her, Kishu felt he was standing in front of a complete stranger rather than his own twin and did not even know how to react.

"Iko-sensei, please talk some sense into her!" Midori pleaded, realizing Kishu was not going to be any held and that as much as she hated to admit it, the quirky woman leaning against the wall was their last resort to make Nima see the light.

"Well, I could ramble on about what Nima should have done, like keep a low profile in the face of danger and not expose yourself to the enemy until I'm blue in the face," Iko began frankly while Midori stood slightly stunned that her sensei actually proceeded to answer her plea in a relatively attentive manner rather than just giggling and flippantly encouraging her to try and understand the twins better. "But it's a little late for that at this point. What's done is done."

"I'm sorry," Nima apologized with her head hung dejectedly as Midori stood proudly with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out, feeling satisfied her advice recognized and appreciated.

"Though I have to say, I'm actually pretty relieved after that outburst," Iko giggled, nudging Nima in the arm as Midori's face fell while Nima's brightened. "I didn't think you had it in you!"

"What?!" Midori retorted, losing what little faith she possessed in her sensei's judgment and skills as a jonin. "Are you saying you support her throwing herself into the lion's den?!"

"No," Iko responded cheerfully, resting her hand on Nima's shoulder as a confused, baffled Midori tried to wrap around her sensei's logic. "But now I know that when she finds herself confronted with something she doesn't believe in, even if it means going against someone scary and dangerous, she won't back down or give up without a fight."

"Haha," Nima grinned, copying her brother's tendency to scratch his head with his hand, as Midori watched these two in disgust.

"You know you could learn something from Nima, Midori," Iko teased, giving Nima a strong embrace.

"I don't know why I try," Midori mumbled, resting her arms on the railing as she buried her face, completely defeated.

"I know the feel," Shikamaru sighed, patting Midori on the back as he recalled all the troublesome situations he has found himself in working alongside the difficult, argumentative Ino and his lovable, but equally lazy best friend.

"Very moving, Iko!" Gai thundered, enveloping both Iko and Nima into his heaving bosom as he lifted them off the ground. "The Power of Youth pulses strongly through your veins and through those of the lovely young ladies you lead!"

"W-Why you're too kind!" Iko gushed, inhaling the last bit of Gai's manly pheromones as he gently set them both back down to the ground and released them from his grasp.

"That was quite a powerful, bold statement you made, my dear!" Gai exclaimed, resting his hand on Nima's shoulder, much like he had done with the cringing Midori before her match. "I like to see that fiery fighting spirit in the youth of today! Might I ask your name young lady?"

"It's Nima, sir!" Nima chirped proudly as she bowed. "Thank you, sir!"

"Nima," Gai repeated, committing the name to memory as pointed towards himself with the thumb on his free hand. "Call me, Gai-sensei!"

"Yes, sir…Oh! I mean yes, Gai-sensei!" Nima corrected herself, giggling sheepishly as she scratched the back of her head.

"I must admit," Iko began with her palm facing forward and the back of her hand resting on her cheek as though she were sharing a secret with Gai. "I am quite taken by your charming, passionate young student for nobly defending his teammates honor. I'd expect nothing less from your student! I hope my students would do the same for each other if they found themselves in a similar situation."

"Hear that, Lee?!" Gai smiled, bursting with pride for his pupil as he startled him with a smack on the back. "You'd be wise to stick near Iko-sensei and her students! They come from good stock!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Rock Lee answered obediently with a salute, completely missing the entire conversation since he was still brooding over the hostile exchange between him and the Sand Village ninja. However, given that whatever they had discussed involved Nima, this made Rock Lee view her in a more positive light now that she had received the seal of approval from his beloved sensei. "You know best!"

"Don't trust him, Iko," Kakashi cautioned, in a desperate attempt to save what last bit of innocence or sensei Iko and her unassuming students might possess before Gai rubbed off too much on them. "It's a trap."

"Oh, you!" Iko winked, giving Kakashi a playful smack on the arm as Kakashi quickly realized any attempts to detach Iko from her spandex-clad Adonis were futile since she was too far gone under Gai's spell.

"More time with us?!" Nima pondered ecstatically, fantasizing on all training and other activities they could do in that time. "Which reminds me. I wonder when he's going to get back to me about…"

"Here we go!" Naruto chimed in aggressively, interrupting Nima's train of thought as he kept his eyes locked on the names zipping across the screen. "Let it be me! Let it be me!" (151)

"No!" Rock Lee challenged, itching for a fight after the tense circumstances with the Sand Village ninja. "It's my turn! My turn!" (152)

"Huh?" Kishu uttered, eager to join in, figuring a good, intense fight was just what he needed to break him from his unsettling, gloomy thoughts. "Hey, don't forget about me!"

Unfortunately, the hyper trio was sorely disappointed as the screen read "Shikamaru Nara vs Tsuchi Kin," selecting the least enthusiastic genin possible on either balcony.

"Aw, man, so soon," Shikamaru whined, apparently forgetting the six matches that were fought before him and that the preliminaries were halfway over, as he prepared to jump down to the arena. "What a drag."

"Oh, quit complaining, you lazy dope!" Ino interjected, tugging Shikamaru's jutting ponytail as Shikamaru winced in pain. "At least you still have all your hair! Try losing that and you can start to complain!"

"Well, glad to see you're doing better," Shikamaru retorted sarcastically, rubbing his sore scalp as he mounted the railing. "And to be fair, you didn't lose ALL your hair…just saying."

"Yeah, yeah," Ino scoffed, patting the significantly shorter tuff of hair left in the ponytail holder as she lamented her lost locks strewn across the floor just a moment ago. "Just hurry up and get down to your fight, dork."

"Good luck, bro," Chouji smiled, offering his pal some last bit of friendly encouragement.

"Please, don't embarrass yourself and your team by forfeiting right off the bat," Asuma-sensei sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he squeezed his sinuses. As his sensei, he knew full well about Shikamaru's apathetic tendencies and while he did not believe Shikamaru's lack of motivation reached such excessive levels, he figured it best to take preventative measures and eliminate that option just in case.

"Perfect!" Midori thought, watching Shikamaru gradually make his way to the center of the arena. "Now, I can see, what this guy's made of and if this dude is really as smart as Chouji says he is."

"So, who're you rooting for, Midori?" Ino teased, crossing her arms as if deep in thought. "I'm betting on that Sound chick, quite frankly. I've been inside her once before, so I should know."

"Well, I agree that…whoa, wait, what?!" Midori babbled utterly shocked, deconstructing Ino's double entendre. "Oh, right Mind Transfer…geez, you can't be suggesting inappropriate things like that! People will start to think things of you."

"Hmm, I suppose," Ino responded flippantly, as a small smile crept up Midori's lips, relieved that Ino perked back up to her witty, spicy self. "In all seriousness though, they did seem pretty strong when we fought them, so I hope Shikamaru knows what he's doing."

"Well, according to Chouji, he's pretty smart," Midori stated with a little edge in her voice, secretly jealous that she had been ranked below such a lazy, unmotivated rookie by the object of her affections and taking his statement a little bit too personally. "And it appears he has some calm, supportive teammates, unlike those obnoxious, loud, abrasive oafs there. Can't they just sit silently and watch the battle like normal people rather than shout and holler during the battle?! Geez, it's more distracting than helpful!"

"Oh?" Ino said with a mischievious grin and a glint in her eye that Midori sensed foreshadowed trouble.

"Wait, what are you…?" Midori started, as Ino tugged Chouji over roughly by his scarf.

"Cheer!" Ino commanded her hefty teammate with an aggressive, demanding tone. "Cheer like you've never cheered before or else!"

"O-OK," Chouji complied involuntarily, mortified by what would happen if he should refuse and discover what the "or else" was.

"Ino, don't you dare!" Midori threatened the sneaky blonde as she turned towards Chouji, softening her tone. "Please, Chouji, you're better than them. Don't degrade yourself by sinking to their level!"

"Sorry, Midori," Chouji answered meekly, as Midori's face fell and she plugged her ears, bracing herself for the impact. "Yeah!"

"Atta boy, Shikamaru!" Ino hailed enthusiastically, rolling cheer after cheer off her lips as loud as she possible could to break through the sound barrier Midori created using her fingers. "Come on, you can do it! You can win this no problem! All you gotta do is tell yourself I cannot lose, right?! Come on, Shikamaru! Bring it on come on. You can do it. You can win this no problem. All you gotta do is tell yourself I cannot lose right. Come on Shikamaru bring it on. Big win! Yeah Shikamaru! Make that little girl cry! Hit her with your one two combination!" (153)

"Are you quite done?!" Midori snapped, growing impatient with this charade and regretting ever worrying about her in the first place.

"Well, I suppose Madame Buzzkill," Ino smirked mockingly while Midori deemed it safe to remove her hands from her ears. "If Shikamaru loses and comes back saying he might have won it had he had more encouragement and support, then I'll just blame it on you."

"If he loses, that certainly won't be the reason," Midori countered, as she began actually enjoying these witty, clever, rapid fire jabs being exchanged between them since Nima and Kishu simply take the impact of her insults without firing back with a counterargument or retort of their own. "Actually, I think I'm doing him a favor, quite frankly."

After a couple seconds of intense staring between the two kunoichi, both broke out in a smile and began giggling to themselves as Sakura observed them from afar and envy began to well inside her her.

"I remember back when Ino and I used to be close like that," Sakura reflected as nostalgia set in, trying not to let them get to her by channeling her aggressive, gruff Inner Sakura. "Hmph, who cares who Ino hangs out with! Why should I care if she hangs out with a shrimp like her?! I don't care!"

While Ino and Midori were establishing their friendship, ironically from an argument over cheering for a certain lethargic genin, that said genin, unaware of the ruckus he caused in the balcony, watched as his opponent stepped forward into the ring, lamenting over having to fight these Sound genin again and longing to return to the balcony for a nap.

Footnotes/Disclaimers:

(116-153) Quotes from the English Dub of Naruto from Viz Media


End file.
